Safari Tanzania Planning? Get Informed, Unbiased Information From Safari Reviews

Safari Tanzania travel reviews and trip reports are an excellent source of information if you are planning such a journey because they have been written by travellers who have already been on safari there, done that and bought the khaki T-shirt.

A safari Tanzania trip through the pen and camera of previous safari travellers offers tremendous insights and tips not normally found in the guidebooks.

They have experienced the crackling of the nightly campfire, the taste of coffee boiled on wood burnt coals in the early morning and everything else that goes with being on safari.

So you get completely independent, unbiased and on the spot, first-hand information. The best kind to find.

It does make choosing between the vast amount of Tanzania safari options a lot easier.

There are close to 200 registered tour companies in Tanzania and by reading safari Tanzania travel reviews, you can make your choices with a lot more confidence.

Safari Tanzania Wildlife Hotspots

There are five major Tanzania safari areas to be found in the country. The hotspots (literally in summer) are the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Selous and Ruaha National Parks.

Take a look at the safari Tanzania trip reports below to get an excellent idea of what an expedition in these areas will be like...

Safari Tanzania Trip Reviews

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania serengeti mapp

The Serengeti National Park is Tanzania's largest national park and it's world famous for the annual wildebeest Serengeti migration and the birthing season when all the calves are born within a three week period.

Wide open plains and grassland characterises this park which makes it an excellent place for wildlife spotting because there are fewer obstructions like bushes and trees to hide the animals from view.

Big maned lion
Base camp site review » Richard seemed to be able to find animals for us almost "on demand". We saw all of the big five as well as many more of the larger animals and many, many small animals and birds - most of them up close and easy to photograph...
Cheetah mom and cubs
Dream trip comes to life » Some of the highlights were a pride of over 20 lions just resting, a mother cheetah with her 2 cubs hanging out and then moving to hunt. We watched and followed her for about 40 minutes...
Leopard in a tree
Worry free adventure » We saw so many animals, that it would be impossible to list them all, but my very favourite moment was spotting a leopard with a kill hiding up in a tree in the Serengeti...

Good Earth Tours Review » A private safari allows flexibility in one's schedule and their guide was great at accommodating their requests for change as well as always seeming to be the one to find great sightings like lions feeding or a leopard in a tree...

Safari Tanzania » Luxury took on a whole new meaning for Marie and her travel companions when they visited the Serengeti in style. Apart from enjoying beautiful landscapes and excellent animal viewing across the different parks, Marie completely fell in love with Tanzania and its people...

Camping in Africa » Very early in the telephonic conversation with Anssi about his Tanzania camping safari I realised that he had experienced a very good trip. Find out more about it...

More reviewsRead more Serengeti safari reviews

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Map

The Ngorongoro Crater is about 20km wide and teeming with wildlife such as lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and thousands of flamingos. It is rightly ranked as one of the wonders of the natural world.

There is no accommodation in the crater itself but there are numerous places to stay perched on the top which ensures a spectacular view and makes an excellent starting point for a day trip into this modern day Garden of Eden.

Big buffalo bull
Private safari review » At night we saw a lot of buffalo who had wandered up to the lodge very close. And I mean close! We could literally hear them munching on the grass as we walked by...
Baby and mother rhino
Observe animals in silence » Good planning before the trip is the key to success. Try to do that based on other travellers experiences and with your safari company. We loved the beautiful landscapes of Ngorongoro Conservation Area...
Lion in the grass
An excellent trip » Even going to bed offered a surprise or two with the Ngorongoro Sopa lodge providing hot water bottles between the sheets to keep us warm through the cool nights...

Lions Mating in the Ngorongoro Crater » Juanita gives handy tips for a Tanzania safari in her travel review - about money matters, fitness, clothing and how many memory cards to take along. See why she rated her trip 10 out of 10...

More reviewsRead more Ngorongoro Crater reviews

Tarangire National Park

Cheetah lookout
Animals everywhere » Kikoti Camp in Tarangire was an awesome camp. LOVED the accommodations and the people were wonderful, a perfect mix of luxury and the outdoors. I could stay here for months as the very friendly staff made the place feel like home...
Zebra eye
Tanzania dream safari » Ezra saw two lions fighting - not something many people ever get to witness. Apart from that he saw a long list of other game and he says the most important factor of a successful safari is your guide...
Elephant charging vehicle
Wildlife bonanza » Sometimes people landing in the same group for an African safari can really bond and end up becoming friends. That's what happened to Peggy. Her safari Tanzania also included the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, but it was Tarangire that stole her heart...

Request full trip report » Tarangire is famous for its elephant populations and it really did live up to its reputation for James and Karen because they saw hundreds of the huge animals including a one month old baby ellie. Their safari Tanzania cook Kasim prepared a three course meal for them when they returned from the evening game drives...

More reviewsRead more Tarangire reviews

Selous National Park

Skyscraper giraffe
Ziara safaris review » Loved the open vehicles we had in all the parks - wind rushing through your hair, deafening cicadas in some spots, sense of a new day, rich smells, timelessness as you became part of the wildness of Africa for that short time...
African Queen boat in Selous
Africa travel » Yionna visited the vast Selous Game Reserve on her safari Tanzania tour and hardly came across other tourists. She experienced her first boat safari and loved it, and now knows what it feels like to be charged by an elephant...
Chameleon crossing
Request full trip report » Eric thought the whole Selous safari Tanzania experience was magical but he did have some issues with the game walk which was not as professional as it should be. Here's why you should think twice before going on a Selous guided safari walk...

More reviewsRead more Selous reviews

Ruaha National Park

Baobab trees
Ruaha self drive » We saw leopards, lions, elephants, buffalo, lots of birds, all the antelope, zebras, wildebeest, jackals and more. The park is very isolated and there are very few other cars. It's beautiful, lots of baobab trees...
Lion cubs
Terrific wildlife trip review » She recommends using the web and sites like this one to make sure you choose a good operator and know what kind of conditions you'll encounter. One shouldn't expect luxurious air-conditioned rooms on a low budget, but can fully expect to enjoy the wildlife variety and getting hooked on Africa...
Eland Bull
Request full trip report » Ruaha is a very dry and hot safari Tanzania tour at this time of the year but that didn't prevent Jamie from seeing a decent amount of wildlife. Lions, hyena, buffalo and giraffe to name a few. They also encountered a herd of elephant that charged towards them en masse...

Submit Your Own Safari Tanzania Experience

Share your own story to help others still planning to go on an African trip like this.

More Tanzania Safari Trip Reports

Click below to see contributions from past Tanzania visitors...

Fantastic experience with Agama Tours and Safaris 
Had a great time with Agama Tours last January. I was volunteering in Tanzania for 2 months and did a 6 day tour in the end, absolutely amazing! I …

Across Tanzania Expeditions 
Beware from booking a trip with Hezron and Across Tanzania Expeditions. We, my wife & I, were in touch with Hezron and the company several months before …

4X4 Adventures Review 
The best game viewing and photographic opportunities were in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area around Lake Ndutu. A lone crocodile, in one of the small …

Great Animals and Landscapes 
The trip was so easy and that was great – the Flash Safari team took care of everything from the moment we met up with them until we got to our airport …

EASTCO Private Safari 
We had a fantastic experience with Eastern Africa Safari and Touring (EASTCO). I highly recommend them. We saw the big 5, went to a Masaai village and …

Wildlife Photography Safari 
Free access to your "Better Safari Photography" before the safari was appreciated and useful. It was particularly helpful to me in selection of a digital …

Tanzania Wheelchair Safari Review 
The crater was the absolute best! Cheetahs walking right between the vehicles, lions mating on the side of the road, at least 2 lionesses with cubs of …

Safari and Beach 
Safaris are very tiresome, both physically and mentally. A week to 10 days is probably long enough for most people. If possible prolong your safari at …

Simba Safaris Review 
I did a trip to a Masai village which was very interesting and would say that it was the highlight of the safari apart from the actual landscape and animals. …

Tanzania Safari With Nature Discovery 
My most heart stopping moment was seeing a herd giraffes wandering along the lake side at Lake Manayara. For my husband it was seeing a Leopard in a tree …

Tanzania Safari Video 
It has been 4 months since we returned from Tanzania and our Honeymoon Safari with Africa Dream Safaris. We could not have dreamt a more perfect execution …

Fascinating Wildlife on Safari 
The funniest thing we saw was a dung beetle. Our guide spotted him on the side of the road. It was fascinating to watch this industrious and determined …

Tanzania 2000 Adventures Review 
One morning, we headed down into the Ngorongoro Crater and had a very eventful safari viewing and managed my Big 5 (Black Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, …

Selous and Wild Dogs 
We managed to follow a large pack of wild dog on a morning hunt, trying to keep up with them in our land rover as they chased and made two impala kills …

10 Day Safari 
We visited local villages, learned how to hunt with the bushmen, played with the children and had 5-star treatments in lodges and restaurants. I saw two …

African Wedding on Safari 
The amazing sight of elephants nursing... swimming with the dolphins and watching traditional wedding dances performed by local people in traditional dress... …

Tanzania with Thomson Safaris 
Watching lionesses stalk wildebeest, giraffes whacking their necks at each other, elephant coming up the road to our rover and leopard walking under our …

Faru Faru Lodge Safari Review 
We saw part of the great migration because this year Kenya was so dry, the animals were confused, they came back down south. It was extremely rare, never-occurred-before …

Emerald Expeditions Review 
We saw a lion with a dik dik that it had just caught but hadn't started eating yet. There are quite a few graphic photos of that experience. It was fascinating …

Kisima Safari Review 
We found having the safari planned with/for us was really great and e-mail contact made it easy to organise from Australia with a Kenyan company. The highlights …

ADS Safari 
The expedited Visa service at the Kilimanjaro Airport set a positive tone for what turned out to be a well organized and wonderful adventure. The safari …

Exotic Tanzania 
The people we met were all very friendly, no exceptions, and we were always greeted by folk where ever we went with a smile and a "jambo". The wildlife …

Quiet Safari 
Nature was the highlight of my trip. The silence, the birds singing, animals making quiet noises as they eat or play. Working for a busy office with the …

Maasai Wanderings Review 
I found Maasai Wanderings in the Lonely Planet. They were wonderful; fabulous in every respect. Easy to work with on the front end, very helpful, excellent …

Click here to write your own.

Ol Mesera Tented Camp Review 
I went for a hot air balloon safari over Serengeti, that was a great experience. Seeing the wildlife from above and feeling like a bird flying over their …

Roy Safaris Review 
The wildlife in Tanzania was absolutely amazing, highlights of the trip include seeing the lions feast after a recent morning kill, and the leopard together …

Albatros Safaris Review 
We saw all the Big 5! We were lucky to see lions, a leopard, 2 cheetahs, hippos (we saw many of them also out of the pool!). I think everyone who is thinking …

DETASA Review 
Our guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the country, animals, plants etc. He let us make the determination on when to move on and always shut …

Tanzania - Paradies Safaris 
The Seronera lodge at Serengeti and Wildlife lodge at Ngoro Ngoro were beyond our expectations. Excellent service, unique locations, great buffet food. …

Tanzania Green Season Review 
Often, we were the first or only jeep at a sighting. One day as we were driving cross-country in the NCA, he spotted two cheetahs. A few hours later, we …

Mid Range Safari 
9 out of 10, I suppose, for minor inconveniences, but really it was what we expected and then some. I can't believe we saw up close so many animals in …

Tanzania Private Select Safari Ltd 
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. Safari Operator Performance …

Thomson Family Safari Review 
This was amazing and unbelievable; the trip of a lifetime for my extended family. What a gorgeous place! You cannot help enjoying it there. Safari Operator …

Thomson Safaris Review 
I really believe the safari was made that much more special because of Leonard and the fact that we had a private trip so that the three of us could really …

Tanzania Private Safari Part 2 
It was absolutely thrilling to see a pair of lions mating, yards from where we were and completely unconcerned by us. We saw the same pair in the morning …

Tanzania Private Safari 
After much searching Hezron spotted a group of four cheetah lying in the grass not far from the track. When they became aware of us they arranged themselves …

HM Safaris Review 
We saw the wildebeest migration, tons of lions, baby lion cubs, cheetahs, leopards, you name it. My favorite would have to be the lioness with her cubs …

Africa Dream Safaris Review 
We saw lots of cheetahs with babies. One cheetah family had six cubs that climbed on the tires of our car. The leopards were my dad's favourite. We saw …

Safari Engagement 
We saw elephants and lions in a tussle which made me a little nervous, giraffes fighting, a gazelle born, cheetahs and lions with fresh kills, and ate …

Buffalo vs Lion 
Our most exciting experience was when a pride of lions was eating a recent wildebeest kill and a herd of cape buffalo came up and challenged the lions. …

Safari Expectations Beaten 
The best part of the trip outside of the animal encounters was talking and learning from our guide every day. We learned about animals, African culture, …

Cheetah On The Roof 
A one year old male cheetah jumped on the hood of our landrover and then onto the roof and sat down. We were astounded! He looked down at us through the …

Serengeti Safari 
The first group of lions we saw was several adult females with cubs, they were hanging out on a rock outcropping. There were quite a few buzzards out about …

Tanzania with Unique Expeditions 
Most of all I loved the people! The children were just gorgeous and just like ours here at home, all different. I was amazed by the gentleness and humbleness …

Selous Safari 
We saw a pride of lions. We managed to see them on three separate occasions. It was amazing. The beauty of this game reserve is that you can go off road …

Utalii Safaris Review 
It was not our first time in Tanzania and we visited already many villages and made many new friends we go and visit every year again. We just love Tanzania …

Tanzania Elephant Safari 
Meeting all the African people on our trip was a highlight. I wish I could do it again. I loved Africa – the people, the scenery, the wildlife! There is …

Unique Expeditions Safari Review 
The wildlife was magnificent! I have a photograph on my lounge wall of a lion that when I look at it every day, I have to pinch myself to remind me I took …

Wildlife Safari And Orphans 
Apart from being on safari, I really enjoyed spending time in our guide's (Kaaya) village, and spending time with the orphans who live with him at the …

Click here to write your own.

Great Tanzania Adventure 
Just back from terrific trip, with thanks to postings on this site. Just my husband and I on a custom trip that priced out well because we didn't fly much …

Migration Safari Report 
For me the best part of the safari was to see the wildebeest migration. Twice we saw lions mating and we also found a huge pride of twenty five lions. …

Dramatic Serengeti Safari 
The most dramatic moments were in the Serengeti where we encountered two lions mating and a mother cheetah with her cub. Another incredible moment on our …

Private Tanzania Safari 
Everyday we thought "this is the best" and the next day we would feel the exact same way. Very exciting as you just understood that you were in a very …

First Safari Experience 
At one point we saw three lionesses begin to stalk a wildebeest. Hezron had told us how they stalk in a group, and they did just as he had told us. It …

Serengeti Lion Battles Hyena  
It happened when we approached a kopje ( an outcrop of rocks in the Serengeti ). We first spotted about 6 to 8 female lions and older cubs on its top under …

Across Tanzania Expeditions Adventure  
As we were driving through the Serengeti after a fabulous day, I was looking out the window, speechless, just staring at the beautiful wide open plains …

Terrific Times in Tanzania with Utalii Safaris 
We had a limited budget and Utalii exceeded our expectations by some way. We had our own car and driver and chef for the entire trip and they soon became …

Naipenda Safaris Review (Tanzania) 
Due to my work and travel schedule I planned to do a safari in December 2006. One of my key criteria was: Go where the animals are likely to be. I had …

Lions Mating in the Ngorongoro Crater: Overseas Adventure Travel Review 
Everything went exactly as planned and the food was great. We saw elephants and zebra adults and young. So beautiful. Also cheetah, lions and lions mating …

Black Mountain Trek 
Over Christmas, we stayed at Baobab Camp, which lies in the valley of the Great Ruaha River at the foot of the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania, …

Uluguru Mountains Safari 
Although I made a 6-day photographic safari in a vehicle with A Tent With a View Safaris Ltd to the Selous Game Reserve, ( which was fantastic! …

Click here to write your own.

Ngorongoro adventure » The Ngorongoro crater I'd say was the absolute best part of the trip, followed closely by Zanzibar". This was Daryl's opinion after travelling overland in Africa for over a month and visiting most of the safari areas in six African countries...

People of Africa » Dodging baboons, holding baby crocodiles, enjoying wonderful accommodations and joining National Geographic on a film shoot. It's not everyday that someone rates their safari 20/10! This is a safari Tanzania experience at its best...

Magical moments » Sonja remembers how in Tarangire they sat and watched herd after herd of elephants coming to the water to drink and play. Despite getting sick while on safari, Sonja still rates her safari a 9 out of 10...

Tarangire » Kathy and her husband George were treated with scores of wildlife but few other people on their private safari in the northern circuit of Tanzania. Find out more about the accommodation, food, weather, wildlife and culture that they experienced on this safari Tanzania adventure...

Off the beaten track » Selous Game Reserve is a great safari location to avoid the crowds, which is exactly what Kim and her husband were after. They visited Selous and Ruaha during their 3-week trip, all the while hardly coming across any other tourists....

Camping Adventure » Arik and his 13-year old son went on a week-long camping safari which met and exceeded their expectations. Although they did stay in lodges for 2 nights, he strongly feels that "camping was the real thing"...

Amazing wildlife holiday » Yionna is a safari Tanzania veteran and she tries to visit every two years. She shares insightful safari tips and advice in this interview...

Private trip » Pat and her daughter had the time of their lives visiting the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire on their safari Tanzania holiday. She explains the advantages of going on a private safari, especially if it's your first Africa trip and you're not sure what to expect...