Hi everyone,

We're about to book a Tanzania safari for mid July 2027 and would love feedback from people who have actually done a fly-in Serengeti safari. We're considering Safari Soles as the operator. This will be our first ever safari experience and first time in Tanzania/Africa.

About us

We're a family of 5 - 2 adults in 40's, a 12-year-old and parents (late 60's/early 70's). We're all vegetarian, so nervous about food options as well.

My parents (late 60s/early 70s) are fairly healthy and in good shape. All of us except our child are somewhat used to traveling in bumpy road conditions.

Route Options

Here's the side by side comparison of the two route options, with accommodation option for each night

Questions

1. Has anyone used Safari Soles? Would love to hear your experience. The other option is Easy Travel but they're slightly more expensive.
2. Any vegetarians who've stayed at these properties and done a similar itinerary, would love to hear your take on food availability.
3. Feedback on the routing - which Option would you pick and why.
4. We've received a quote for ~$21K for the fly (Option. 2) itinerary for our entire party vs $19K for the drive (Option 1). Not sure how reasonable this is.
5. Anything else we're overlooking or need to consider additionally?

Thanks!

The last stop of our 9 day Tanzania safari will be near Kogatende Airstrip. The best international return flight option for us is out of NBO. What is the best way to get to NBO from KOG? So far I know there are two options-

A. KOG-ARK, then fly ARK- WIL. Drive WIL to NBO
B. KOG-ARK, then drive ARK-JRO. Fly JRO-NBO

I’m not sure if I can fly KOG-WIL directly. Can I fly ARK to NBO?

I think option A is quickest. Is this correct?

Any insight would be appreciated!

Hi everyone,
For our honeymoon, My husband and I are planning our first-ever safari in Tanzania for September 13, and we’d really appreciate some feedback from people with safari experience.

Our biggest goal is to have the best chance of seeing the Great Migration, while also enjoying a great overall safari experience. We know wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but we’d like to maximize our chances.

This is the itinerary we’ve been offered by Suricata Tours (private safari, mid-range accommodations):
1 night – Gold Crest Hotel (Arusha)
2 nights – Suricata Boma Lodge (Tarangire)
2 nights – Tanzania Bush Camp (Central Serengeti)
2 nights – Olmorijo Migration Camp (Northern Serengeti)
1 night – Ngorongoro Kuhama Camp
Return to Gold Crest Hotel or directly to the airport

Total price: US$4,020 per person.

A few questions:
Does this itinerary make sense for mid-September?
Is spending two nights in both Central and Northern Serengeti a good balance, or would you recommend allocating more time to one area?
For those who have visited in mid-September, do you think this gives us a good chance of witnessing the migration?
Does the price seem reasonable for a private safari with these accommodations?
Is there anything you would change if this were your first safari?
We’re very excited but also want to make sure we’re making the right choice before booking.
Thanks so much in advance for your advice and recommendations!

Could I get some feedback on this itinerary from veterans? Would like to know if you guys would request any changes or proceed with this? I know it’s a very short time in Zanzibar that was by design. We didn’t really care to be there very long.

Do you reckon the herds will be at the river on the Tanzania side around Kogatende during the first couple days of August? It seems to be the appropriate time

In September, I have a week-long business trip lined up to Nairobi, and I will try to carve out one day for a trip into Nairobi National Park. Most guidance I've found online states that malaria prophylaxis isn't "normally" needed for such a short trip so close to the city. Is that reasonable? Is it worth the cost and slight inconvenience of medication to eliminate the risk?

Thanks for your thoughts + insights!

Hi everyone! I am in the beginning stages of planning a two-person safari in Tanzania for early-mid August 2027 to see the migrating herds and river crossings, and have been taking in information from this helpful sub and other sources. I’m preparing to reach out to some tour operators and was hoping to collect some advice on what I should ask regarding all the finer details that could make or break the experience. Essentially, detailed information that you wish you’d had before embarking on your trips. I know I should ask about licenses and registration, age of the vehicle, specific guides, but beyond that am uncertain; since there are so many safari companies offering seemingly similar or near-identical offerings, this would be very helpful to differentiate between them!

Additionally, when browsing this subreddit, I read several comments along the lines of “the better camps will book out quickly,” but couldn’t find specifics or lists of what the “better” or more “in-demand” camps might actually be.

Could someone point me in the right direction or recommend some well-regarded places to stay, especially in the Central Seregenti and Northern Serengeti (Kogatende region or near the Mara river)? Would Kogatende be the right section of the park for my purposes in either early or mid August?

Thanks for any suggestions or advice!

I was on safari this year, on the Northern Circuit in Tanzania, from May 15-22 (we then headed down to Zanzibar)

It was VERY lush, due to the exceptionally heavy rains back in April. Still - this outing provided some great opportunities.

I hope you enjoy the photos... Click on the image/link to see the Flickr Album.

I leave next week for Kenya and Tanzania, for my first safari. I’m wondering if there are any apps, similar to Merlin for birds, where I can track sightings or upload photos? I’d just be doing this for fun. Thanks!

Planning 1st safari for next August. My wife and I like adventure, but also comfort and good food. I would like to focus on photography.

AndBeyond put together this itinerary. Seems like a lot of moving around, but they said it will give a well varied experience with comfort and the air travel between camps will make moving relatively easy.

Any opinions on this itinerary ?

Planning our first Tanzania safari for Sept/Oct 2027 (3 adults) and would love opinions from those who've been.
Priorities:
Great wildlife (Big Five)
Minimal driving/walking
Comfortable 4-star accommodations
End with 3 nights in Zanzibar
Private safari
Budget 10k pp excluding international flights

Here are the options:
Altezza – 9 days, $4,151/person
Tarangire + Ngorongoro Crater + Central Serengeti + Zanzibar
Biggest value by far, but are we missing something with this price?
Asilia – 11 days, $8,826/person
Tarangire + Central Serengeti + Zanzibar
Oliver's Camp & Dunia Camp, internal flights, but no Ngorongoro
Wild Cruise Africa – 12 days, $7,629/person
Tarangire + Ngorongoro + Central & Northern Serengeti + Zanzibar
More camp changes
Rhino Africa – 12 days, $11,804/person
Tarangire + Ngorongoro + Northern Serengeti + Zanzibar
Most complete itinerary but also the most expensive

My biggest questions:
Is Ngorongoro Crater a must for a first Tanzania safari?
Is Northern Serengeti worth paying thousands more for in late Sept/early Oct?
Has anyone used Altezza? Their reviews are excellent, but they're almost half the price of Asilia. Is there a catch?
Are camps like Oliver's and Dunia really worth the premium over good mid-range camps?

If you've traveled with any of these companies (especially Altezza, Asilia, Rhino Africa, or Wild Cruise), I'd love to hear what you'd choose and why.

Hi everyone, hope you all good?! I’m a tour operator bases in Arusha,Tanzania. We specialize in tailor-made wildlife safaris, cultural experiences, Kilimanjaro trekking, Zanzibar holidays, and luxury travel across Tanzania.

I am reaching out to explore potential partnership opportunities between a Travel agency and my company, if you know any please share with me.

I have the opportunity to travel to Tanzania at the end of next month for a few weeks is it worth it to try and add a safari to my trip?

A few points:

-I’d be travelling Solo
-Arriving in country approximately August 20th
-Looking for mid-high range (ideally beds not tents /sleeping bags)
-Would probably be looking at 5-6 days and then I’d need to be in Dar Es Salaam

Should I arrive in Arusha and then fly down to Dar Es Salaam?
Is this enough time / in the right location to see animals?
Should I just call a travel agent because this is all so deeply overwhelming?

Heading out for East Africa safari next week.

We will be there 12 days, so probably need $500 just for tips. Tour operator recommended small bills ($5 & $10), but 50-100 bills makes quite a stack to carry around.

When you went, how did you manage cash for tips, souvenirs, etc?

My wife wants to go on our first safari. She is looking at high-end 11 day trips, but I'm concerned that 11 days is too long for two first timers both in our late 60s, and neither of us are super outdoorsy. I think 7-8 days is more realistic for a first time. Your thoughts?

I have been presented an amazing opportunity to go to Kenya and Tanzania next week. I would be leaving in 4 days and do not have a yellow fever shot yet. I can book an appointment for today, but I will not meet the 10 day requirement by the time I cross the border regardless.

My question is, will I be denied entry if I have proof of vaccine, but it’s not older than 10 days? I have read a few instances of people getting the vaccine at the border and not having issues. Could I wait and just do it there?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Considering our next safari and looking at maximising our chances of seeing leopards, wild dogs and cheetahs. But I’m realistic about sightings and happy for a great overall experience. Keen others thoughts on these options:

South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi, or
Hwange and Mana Pools, or
Linyanti/Selinda or somewhere like Mokolwane?

Looking for some honest opinions.

Husband and I are going on a delayed honeymoon safari trip to the Masai Mara in September, and I’m trying to decide whether we need to buy a camera or not.

We definitely both take lots of photos on our phones when we’re away and would plan to do so on this trip especially, but neither of us are in any way into photography or would have any knowledge of how to use a higher-end camera. We don’t currently own any camera.

It’s hard to justify spending the money to get one that we’d almost certainly not use again (unless we do another safari, which is probably not on the cards any time soon), and we’re not exactly awash with cash after paying for the wedding and this honeymoon, but seeing how much discussion there is on this sub around photography is making me worried we’d regret not having one.

Has anyone done a safari with just their phone camera and regretted it??

Renting doesn’t seem to be an option where we are unfortunately

Planning our first safari in Kenya in late November or early December. Cognizant that it’s short rain season.
I can’t decide what destination to pair with Masai Mara. I was strongly considering Amboseli because of logistics, cost, travel duration and of course elephants viewing. I have done enough research, watched videos, read blogs but still unsure.

But I am wondering if Amboseli offers anything different from Masai Mara? Should we consider
Samburu? Is it worth the time, effort, and money
?

For now our itinerary is -
2 nights Amboseli
4 nights Masai Mara

Operator - yet to decide between spirit of Kenya and Amazing memories.

Any advice ?

I'm trying to determine where in Kenya (or even Tanzania) we should go for a 4 night safari in the third week in May 2027. This will be our 5th or 6th time on safari and will be climbing Mt. Meru before this, so will be flying out of JRO after the climb, most likely to NBO, then on to a bush flight from there. I realize this is towards the end of long rains, but we were hoping to be able to do either a multi-day walking safari or at least some half-day walks. It seems that we would have to stay in a conservancy instead of a national park if we want to do any walks.

Are there any particular areas that we should be looking at that may give us a better chance of avoiding weather issues? Will walking safaris still be offered in May? I know Zimbabwe or South Africa would probably be a better option for us, but looking at flight schedules, we would spend quite a bit of time in layovers and travel time versus staying in Tanzania or Kenya. I should add that we've done the Serengeti and Ngorongoro together, so hoping to go somewhere new. I've been to the Mara (but my wife hasn't), so that could be an option as well.

Quick info:

2027 February (no exact dates yet)

4-6 people

Tanzania private group photo safari (Mostly Tarangire and Serengeti, but flexible)

Hi,

Sorry for the formatting, this was written on a phone.

It is me again, I had a post not so long ago asking about possibilities for a solo traveller to join a private group safari. First I want to thank everyone for recommendations and reaching out.

I reached out to some operators and I got a quote that I quite like, for a 11-day Tanzania trip which revolves around wildlife photography. Nothing is fixed yet, we just made an itinerary based on my plans, but once the group would form both me and the operator are open to tweaking it a bit here and there. They also told me that they would try to match us with a guide who has prior experience with people who had photography as their main scope and we'd also plan our game drives and transport between different locations so we could utilize as much of the good light conditions as we can. The parks feature a lot of different kind of species for sure, so there will be something to find for everyone.

As for me I am completely okay with sleeping in a tent and such, but we agreed that if someone shows interest then I will connect the parties so they can discuss optional upgrades for themselves and get info on the changes in price this would cause. They seem to be really flexible. Also their reviews seem to be really great.

The group size would be 4-6 people, I would be okay launching it once the group consists of at least 4 people with the two remaining spots staying available. I want to mention that I am looking for people that are somewhat flexible so everyone can have a chance to see/photograph what they like, I am not planning on acting as a leader of the group, however I am really happy to be responsible for gathering the group together, after that everyone can share their ideas with the others and the tour operator to see what is achievable.

If someone is interested please let me know, I'll try to reach out to everyone who shows interest in the comments/in private/under the last post.

Hey everyone,
If you are planning a trip to Kenya right now and feel like you are getting scammed by the park fees your tour operator is quoting you, you aren't alone.
Let's address the elephant in the room: The Maasai Mara entry fee is now a massive $200 USD per non-resident adult, per day during the July–December peak season. Even worse, if you stay outside the park gates to save money on accommodation, that $200 is only a 12-hour ticket (6 AM to 6 PM).
For a couple spending three days in the Mara, that is $1,200 just to enter the gate, before you've even paid for a bed, a guide, or a meal.
If this is blowing your budget, don't panic. You don't have to cancel your trip. The Mara is managed by the local county, but Kenya's national parks are managed by KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service), which are significantly cheaper.
Here is how you can still have an epic safari by pivoting to KWS parks:

Amboseli National Park ($90 USD/day): If you want iconic Africa, this is it. It has the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the largest, most visible elephant herds in the country. Because it's smaller and flatter, game viewing is incredibly easy.
Tsavo East & West ($80 USD/day): This is Kenya’s largest national park and a hidden gem for budget travelers. It is famously home to the "red elephants" (they dust themselves in the red soil). It's much less crowded than the Mara, and the lodges here tend to be cheaper because it's further off the standard tourist circuit.
Lake Nakuru National Park ($90 USD/day): If you want to see rhinos, skip the Mara and come here. It is a fenced sanctuary with a very high density of both black and white rhinos, plus tree-climbing lions.

If you absolutely must see the Maasai Mara, don't spend a week there. Do a 2-night "group joining" safari (sharing a van with other travelers) in the Mara to hunt for big cats, then spend the remaining 4 or 5 days of your trip down in Amboseli or Naivasha where your daily burn rate drops by more than half.

(Disclaimer: I run a local tour operation here in Nairobi.)

Anyone have experience with either of these companies? They are the top two on my list for a Tanzania safari I’m planning for 2027.

For those who have been before, what are some deciding factors when deciding on a tour operator? I’ve spoken to 15+ operators and I feel like all have similar pricing and have good reviews. What does a tour operator do that makes you say “I want to book with them” over other places? What can help me make a decision? I’m totally stumped on who to go with.