Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd

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Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd

by Keith Caverly

In full size, the eyes on the young male lion are absolutely mesmerizing.

We saw the big five, and myriads of other animals. The highlight was a leopard in a tree with its kill lodged in the trunk.

Keith's Safari Details:

Rating: 10+/10

Safari company used: Tanzania Private Select Safari Limited
(make an enquiry)

Parks visited: Serengeti and Ngorongoro in Tanzania

Date of safari: 12-20 February 2009

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Safari Operator Performance

They provided exceptional service and outstanding food.

There were four staff looking after 3 travellers.

Accommodation

Speke Bay, tents, Sopa Lodge in Ngorongoro.

Food

Breakfasts were eggs, bacon or sausage, toast and trimmings.

Box lunch (excellent).

Dinner was always full course with outstanding cuisine.

Typical Day

Breakfast at 6:30AM, game drives all day every day, relaxing dinners and chat around campfire.

We had hippo, lions, baboons, buffalo roaming through and around the tents at night - a phenomenal experience.

Tips and Advice

Take a good camera, good binocs, and enjoy.

Don't forget to pack Deet and sunscreen.

Take precautions against malaria »

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS:

Learn to use manual focus on your camera. On the first day I lost several great shots due to auto-focus picking up background instead of subject.

I took with me a Rebel XSi and lenses:

I used the 17-40 on a number of occasions, the 70-300 almost never left the camera body and the 28-135 never left my camera case. I probably could have used the 28-135 on occasion but the 70-300 really covered pretty much everything I needed.

Very little tweaking was needed on any shots. I worked a very little bit on the left-hand (shaded) side of the buffalo. The wildebeest with calf is pretty much untouched.

Buffalo in Ngoronboro - ©Keith Caverly Gnu and baby - ©Keith Caverly

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Comments for
Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd

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Feb 04, 2010

A bad experience
by: Anonymous

Without prejudice.

We used Tanzania Private Select Safaris for a luxury two weeks in Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Mombasa. It was a mistake.

They produced an itinerary and on the basis of that we accepted the terms and paid them. Once we had paid them they claimed that they did not receive the money and that they couldn't book all the hotels we promised. We thought this was odd as the money had left our account.

Two days before embarking they changed the itinerary, although we contracted for a luxury package they claim the one week delay in one half of the 21,000 usd payment resulted in them not being able to get the hotels. Instead they put us in 3 star accommodation yet did not refund us any of the price difference. When we got back home the money was still not in our account and we found out that the money had actually been received by them on time.

This is a complete scam and we are commencing legal action on them. We are already placing a formal complaint with the Ministry of Tourism and Tanzania Association of Tour Operators. Since making people aware of these issues, several other people have come forward and expressed similar experiences.

Watch out for these guys, there a lot of safari operators out there and you have to be careful of the people that take advantage of innocent tourists.

Feb 04, 2010

Poor choice of hotels
by: JakeandKaren

We paid a lot of money for this safari and there were some great times in Dar Es Salaam but Mombasa was terrible the hotel was unrated and didn't even have air conditioning.

The tour operators were not even accessible by phone. There are a lot of better operators out there, I wouldn't recommend these guys. They don't seem to have the contacts and one of the driver's didn't even speak English.

Feb 06, 2010

Worst Safari ever!
by: Gerald Wissener

This is a terrible safari operator. We were completely cheated. We paid for deluxe accomodations and got substandard accomodation. I would advise not to use this safari group.

Feb 06, 2010

Do not use
by: Nureen S

Very unprofessional and we felt cheated at the end. We simply did not get what we paid for. It was an unpleasant experience.

The hotels were bad even though we paid top prices and the tour guides were of a poor quality. They used all sorts of excuses to explain why the hotels we agreed on were not used. Do not use these operators.

Feb 06, 2010

Bad Hotels
by: Amos&Janet

Be careful about Tanzania Select. They will promise you certain things and not deliver. Hotels, tours, it all made our trip quite unpleasant. We have been to East Africa before so understand the difference and we were clearly disappointed.

Feb 06, 2010

Not the best value for money
by: Jameel

We got Aafez's contact from the community and we got in touch to arrange a safari for Dar es Salaan, Nairobi, and Mombasa.

There are many safari operators and when we went on the safari we noticed what everyone else was being served and the relationship they had with the drivers. The organization is probably the smallest and the other tourists got much better service, food, and hotels.

Please, my advice, don't go for someone just because he is from the same community. Go for the best provider. I think we got taken advantage and got left with some less than adequate services and food than what we paid for.

Feb 06, 2010

Bad Experience
by: KarimAroundtheWorld

We were also recommended to use Tanzania Private Select Safari through a friend of ours at khane. We thought because they were Ismaili they would take care of us. We had a very bad time with them, they were very much subpar in service, food, quality of drivers, lack of itinerary. On two occassions the driver showed up more than two hours late.

We also did not even have an itinerary or an understanding of what we were doing. When we told our friend, she said she had actually never used them but through they would be good.

I would be happy to contact you to provide you with more information. I agree they should not be allowed to operate as safari operators.

How can I contact you.

Karim Jiwani

May 06, 2011

Refering to the Comments that have been made by the Merali Family
by: Anonymous

I have reviewed the comments that have been made by the Merali's Family Safari
In all the correspondence there is evidence that they were informed about safari , they paid the said amount that is mentioned.
Being Ismails in not the factor here , the bookings were done according the the request of the family trip . But what does one expect when deposits are demanded. they are not sent in time.
We request the Merali family to refer to all the emails and correspondence wit the mentioned safari company.The payments for the safari did come in late , the bookings with the hotels they wanted were bumped out of the hotel and lodges that were booked at.
We request the Merali family to read all the emails very carefully once again and then see who is at fault and then comment .

May 06, 2011

The coments made on 6th Feb 2010
by: Anonymous

When I read this comments that have been written on 6th February 2010
I was on Safari with Afeez! its not my 1st Safari with Afeez ! it was my 4th safari with him as we were driving from Mwanza with him. This safari took place in December 2009.
I reside in Canada and have never seen a crazy safari like the Merali's have made. This was a family trip 3 sons and there parents !!!
This safari was a hop skip and jump safari. It says that they did a safari for 2 weeks !! its totally wrong.
Can you imagine at the peak of the Season even after the Meralis were told that the lodges are full and they wanted Serena lodges and there payments did come in late and they were bumped out of the lodges they were booked at . Still they tough that this is TIA ( this is Africa) that every thing is possible.
Well it does not work that way !!! the payments came in late they were informed and they did not accept it.
They did send a few lawyers letters from there lawyers in some part of Arabian State. Tanzania Private Select safaris did send them a copy of all the correspondence of all the Email and they saw that they were at fault and kept quite. At the Same time they demanded US $ 5000.00 as refund. Tanzania Private Select safaris was ready to pay this payment but first they had to go through all the correspondence. Only to find out that they were at fault !!!! They were informed every thing and they gave it a deaf ear. Hence they kept quite
Now they sit and complain.We can provide all the email correspondence as proof and then see who is wrong

May 07, 2011

Do not book with Tanzania Select
by: James Glider

We had a very bad experience with Tanzania Select. It looks like several other people who commented went through the same thing. I wish I had seen this posting before. In sum, we were put in poor accommodation, had pretty poor guides (some who didn't even know the area they were taking us around). When we confronted Tanzania Select, the owner Afeez didn't even return our calls and then proceeded to make excuses. The whole experience comprised what should have been a memorable trip.

May 07, 2011

Camping safari
by: Elvira

3 years ago we spent some nights in the private Select camp of Tanzania Private Select Safari. Everything was just great. Staff attentive, food excellent, tents lovely. Was a great time in the middle of the bush.

May 09, 2011

21 days of safari with TPSSL
by: Safari Guide

How can someone write all this crap!!!! I have been guiding in Africa for the last few years and I am a South African Safari Guide. The First Safari I did with TPSSL was in 2006, I met Afeez via the net. I came with a group of 7 South African to do my 1st Select safari that was for 14 days. I had to tell Afeez that he has spoiled the South African Way of Camping (meaning that it was so much better than the way we camp in South Africa !!!! ) I organized the Select Safari Camping out of Africa Style using Special Campsites in the Serengeti National Park .
I would like to comment the Safari was Tailor made to our needs The food was so much better then what we had in the Lodges.
We Did Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater then we flew to Zanzibar
The Climax of the first safari was Select Safaris in Serengeti National Park
It took us back in time and made us feel in paradise
The food in the camp was a 5 Course meal that was cooked in the open fire , we had a crew of 6 from Waiters ,Tent attendant and Camp assistants
We were totally spoiled (our biggest complain was TOO MUCH FOOD!!!!! I mean Great Food)
From 2006 I have come back to Tanzania more than 5 times with my clients from Mexico & USA
I will be honest with you I have more groups that will be visiting Tanzania from July 2011 when the new season Starts in Tanzania
He is honest and goes by the book. If things cannot be done he will tell you up front. That is the thing that I like about Afeez
I do not believe this Comments the people have written above this is one way of spoiling the reputation of someone who is straight and honest!!!
I will never book my safaris with TPSSL if Afeez was not honest!!!!

Mar 04, 2012

Safari with TPSSL for the 2nd time
by: Anonymous

Dear Reader
Greetings
I have just got back from my 2nd time safari with Tanzania Private Select Safaris in two years.
I had the same Safari guide who I had in 2011, Hugo Malya
We did 14 days 13 night Safari ( Select Camping safari)with private Campsites and crew in the Serengeti.
Group size was family of 4 , we had a crew of 3 in the Serengeti. Where we stayed for 6 nights.
This time it was to catch the greatest movement of about 2 million wildebeest. The Great Migration.
This safari has made me book again for 2014.
This time I want to come with friends and experience this great spectacle in the world. The Great Migration
I have never seen any thing like this before.
I want to Thank Aafeez with all the communication he did and requesting us to postpone out trip by 3 weeks as we were flexible . Thank you so much Aafeez it was a wise thing that you made for us.
If it was not for this change we would have not seen what we saw on this trip. Thank you so much Asante Sana!!!! The trips has been worth every sent that we have paid you
Keep up the good work and you will be seeing us again
Sherry

Mar 15, 2012

Our Safari Experience
by: The Shoppe Family

This is Hank and Miranda Shoppe we took our family of three children to Tanzania for Safari. The Ngoro Ngoro crater was incredible, the kids really enjoyed seeing all the animals and it was a very interesting trip.

There are many safari tour operators out there and Tanazania Private Select Safari is a pretty average operator. We paid enough money to organize the trip and were disappointed with the quality of hotels.

We were even left waiting for two hours when the driver didn't show up, the kids got quite upset as we were all hungry and ready to get started on the day. They were very professional when communicating by email but when we got there its just not a first rate operator.

Go to Tanzania, enjoy the experience and all the treasures that beautiful country has to offer. Choose a different tour operator it will make a difference and allow you to enjoy your trip even more.

Sincerely,

Hank and Miranda Shoppe

Apr 17, 2012

2nd Post
by: Jameel

I just checked this post and found out that the tour operator, Tanzania Private Select responded to my earlier post. I looked at the number of postings in this forum and I am pleased that other individuals/group who used the tour operator agree with my assessment that the tour operator was a poor choice. This makes me realize that companies like this cannot get away with ripping customers off and that it is my civic duty to inform the public of this kind of operation.

I was relieved to see that Tanzania Private Select Safari responded to my query but I was surprised at their message. I would have expected the operator to apologize for the shortcomings of their service but instead found them to be unapologetic, defensive and completely unaccountable for their poor service level and misrepresentation. I want to take this opportunity to wish Tanzania Private Select Safari all the best in their business, I am sure that some people may have found their experience enjoyable. However, I will never use them as a tour operator or recommend them in good faith to anyone of my relatives, friends or business associates. If you are ever to book with them beware. I was fooled, I hope you don't get fooled either.

To Tanzania Private Select Safari - treating your customers like this and misrepresenting your offering is not a sustainable business model. You won't be in business for very long if you continue doing this. Use this comment as an incentive to change.

Regards,

Jameel

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Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd

Safari Operator Performance

Accommodation

Food

Typical Day

Tips and Advice

Comments for Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd

Comments for
Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd