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Wildlife Safari in Tanzania
We’ve been planning wildlife safari holidays in Africa for over a decade now, and before that, we were working in the far-flung reaches of Tanzania. It goes without saying that we’re a teeny bit enthusiastic about what Africa has to offer as a holiday destination, either for walking safaris, a family escape, or a luxury experience with a twist. But, where the best wildlife experiences are concerned, we have strong feelings about where to go and how to do it properly.
For big games, the lion and buffalo of Katavi in Tanzania are hard to beat, as is the wildebeest migration of the Serengeti. Kenya’s Masai Mara and Amboseli Parks still rank highly for sheer numbers of large mammals.
In Southern Tanzania, the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park are amongst the best places in the world to see elephant, buffalo, lion and wild dog, especially since you can take to the water or get out on foot. Ruaha has the most ridiculous number of leopard (amongst much more), which can spoil first-time visitors and raise the bar for future safaris.
Northern Tanzania is a very popular wildlife habitat. The Tarangire National Park is particularly good for huge herds of buffalo and elephant with the chance of seeing cheetah and wild dog too. Parts of the Tarangire are fabulous for elephant swimming across rivers, and hyena and lion clashing heads in dramatic fashion. The Lake Manyara national park is a wildlife phenomenon that ranges from the pink flamingos to hippo, all seen against a watery backdrop that you’ll find nowhere else in the world.
The wildlife experiences on offer in Tanzania vary hugely and no two destinations are quite the same. Fortunately, we’ve been privileged to have spent time exploring and even working in all of them and so we’re in a position to give insightful guidance as to what the pros and cons of each are, and help you decide what would suit you best.
Here are a few (but by no means all) wildlife safari experiences that are pretty special:
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EXCELLENTBased on 246 reviewsVerifiedRuth T2024-07-27Once in a lifetime. This was an exciting and exhilarating hike. Grueling and rewarding. Our guides were great, and our porters and chef exceptional. I would definitely recommend trekking with Materuni.VerifiedL D2024-04-26Coffee tour, safari and Usambara Mountains - everything was great :) This is the third time that I have done safaris and the coffee tour with Materuni Tours. The coffee tour takes you through the village of Materuni, through a beautiful landscape to a huge waterfall. The hike is not demanding and is beautiful. You are also shown how coffee grows and how it is made, or you can make it yourself. We really liked that! After that we did a 4-day safari, which was simply fantastic. We had very nice accommodations and a cool car with lots of space. Since we are bird lovers, we also really liked the fact that our driver was extremely knowledgeable about the Tanzanian bird world and always showed us the animals in a book. After the safari we did a 3.5-day hike in the Usambara Mountains with Materuni Tours. It was amazing!! The nature is fantastic and we hiked through many villages and got a great insight into Tanzanian culture. Our guide Francis was very, very nice and funny. He made the best guacamole in the world and was very attentive. We saw lots of chameleons and had an incredible view of over 300 km. I can only recommend Materuni Tours, everything was very well organized and even when we wanted to make a few spontaneous changes, they were immediately taken into account and implemented. I also think it's good that it's a Tanzanian provider and that this boosts the economy in the country.VerifiedHarold G2024-02-207 day Machame Kilimanjaro & 2 day safari In February 2024 we climbed the Kilimanjaro using the Machame route in 7 days. The trek was organized by Materuni Tours, a local company. Ambrose, the owner of Materuni Tours knows his stuff and everything was very well organized. We had a great team of porters, the chef prepared delicious food and the guides were excellent. Also the stay at the Kilimanjaro Accommodation before and after the trek was very enjoyable with a great chef preparing meals on demand. The safari was a little bonus we had not planned before arriving in Moshi. It was again perfectly organized last minute by Ambrose. I truly recommend Materuni Tours, especially because it is locally owned.VerifiedEna Z2024-01-27Amazing way to experience Kilimanjaro !! Ambrose was very dialed, and his crew was absolutely amazing! Once we exited the airport, Dino was waiting for us. We arrived to the host, Ambrose's house, and everything was beyond my expectations. The food was amazing, and all the little details was incredible. The tour itself was made extra special because of Ambrose's crew. Led by Antony, and also guided by Davis, Matthew, and Josef: they ensured we were all safe and having a good time. The porters and cooks and waiters all also made the trip extra special!!! They sang for us, let me cook a little soup with them, and made sure that we adjusted to the altitude no problem. Our group could not have done it without the crew that Ambrose had for us. I am so happy I got to experience this, mainly because of all of them!!! Highly recommend !!!VerifiedRoland N2023-12-01Materuni safari Our guide Kaleby picked us up from the hotel in Arusha and we went to the beautiful park Tarangire. We saw many animals and the views were amazing. Kaleby had a answer to every question we had. We saw a leopard! We spent the night in Haven Nature Lodge. Great place, good food, great staff! Early in the morning we drove to Ngorogoro Crater. Undescribable place, we came close to lions with 4 cubs playing. Elephants, hyenas, sebras, wildbeasts, birds. Materuni tours did all they promised. Great guide, good car and good food.VerifiedJoe S2023-10-28Unforgettable experience! Unforgettable experience climbing Kilimanjaro and doing 5 day safari. The mountain team were 1st class and do everything for you on the mountain so all you need to do is walk, giving you the best chance of summiting. Safari was a really fun was of spending the 2nd week, we saw lots of amazing animals including the big 5, and also nice way to meet other travellers. Materuni Tours provide a very personalised experience, and will look to arrange anything you want at short notice. If you’re a solo traveller and looking to be part of a group, best check first when there are sign ups and for which routes, as there’s no guarantee there will be a group if you select your own dates. Also the accommodation is nice but a bit out of town and feels like a safe house, so if you’re wanting to try and link up with other travellers/climbers then worth arranging a hostel in Moshi. Otherwise a fantastic experience!VerifiedIrene S2023-10-19Trip that I never forget The trip was amazing. We had a great team, and the guides where super! They helped me to go up the mountain. Give me mental support. I don’t made it to the top because of my headache and nosiness. But I am proud that my husband made it to the summit together with Joseph. Materuni Tours thanks for the great experience 🩵VerifiedIrene S2023-10-19Great Safari Tour We made a more days tour. We were going to Arusha National Park, Tarangire Park, Serengeti and the Ngorongoro. We had a great guide Nuru who knew so many things and tell us about all the parks. We saw all of the Big 5 that was amazing. I can recommend this safari tour!!! Materuni thxVerifiedBente Goeman2023-10-17Living a day as a local! This tour will give you a really good perspective how the daily life of a real person in a Tanzanian village looks like. They will bring you the beautiful waterfall and after have a coffee workshop. Extra special was the personal touch of the guide who lived his whole childhood in Materuni village. He showed his house where he grew up and we visited the school where he went as a child.VerifiedBente Goeman2023-10-17EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME An experience of a lifetime! I'm so greatful Materuni Tours gave us this opportunity to have this amazing experience. The views were unbelievable and also the guides are part of the family. The organisation was really good and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to be in nature.
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