5-Day Northern Tanzania Highlights – Mid-Range

 
 
 
  EXCELLENT  
    
 Based on 32 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Richard H 
 
2024-09-26
 
 
 Verified 
Trip of a lifetime, organised by people who care.
Brace yourselves this will be a long one!! My wife and I travelled with Wild Pride Safaris in August and September 2024. We had a week on safari in Tanzania and a week at the beach in Zanzibar. From the first contact with Lillian at Wild Pride Safaris they were absolutely fantastic to deal with. Initially there was quite a bit of back and forward with Lillian producing several fantastic itineraries to fit in with different dates and activities we were thinking of doing while on holiday. Each of these detailed itineraries showed the camps that we would be staying at and also the routes and plans for the safari. Very professional and helpful, queries were answered rapidly and nothing seemed to be a problem in the planning of the trip. Lillian even managed to get us a Nikon camera with a 18-300 f3.5 Nikkor lens on hire for the duration of the safari, although this was quite expensive it was cheaper than buying a camera I will never use again and the pictures we have from it are absolutely stunning! I would say to anyone going on safari to have a good camera, phones just do not cut it for the shots you will be taking. On arrival at Kilimanjaro we were met and taken to our first hotel, a lovely place just outside Arusha where we had the day to chill and get over the overnight flight. Lillian and her boss came to the hotel to meet us and drop off the camera, we even received a couple of travel mugs and Masai blankets. Only a small thing but it shows the detail and friendliness of the company. They explained the trip and what would happen over the next couple of days, all very straight forward and up until this point, exactly what they said would happen happened. After a comfortable night we met our guide the next morning and loaded up the truck for our adventure. Our guide was Deo, he is a very nice guy, knowledgable, polite and he knows where to go in the parks to get the most out of the experience. One of the most pleasant things for my wife and I was the respect that he has for the country and the animals. Unlike other safari destinations, Tanzania does not allow you to go chasing down animals that you see. You have to stay on the tracks, this is strictly enforced by rangers and creates some interesting moments with trucks jostling for position and right of way. However as Deo explained, if you have animals doing their thing and going about their business they do not want to get harassed and stressed by people in trucks doing anything to get the best picture. For Deo it is about appreciating the animals in the environment that they live in and creating the best trip for us. The other side of this policy is that the animals are not scared of the trucks, they have no reason to be since the trucks are not allowed to chase them. This means that the animals will interact and go about doing the animal things they do right beside you, lions walking in between the truck or guarding a kill right beside the road. Literally nothing runs away, to the point of it being difficult to move on the road sometimes for buffalo or antelope refusing to move. First day on safari was at Tarangire NP, this was a great way to get broken into the safari life, it is a big open park with plains and little bits of forestry and bush. Animals are everywhere and there are specific places that are better for certain animals. Highlights from this day were the train of elephants who just wandered across the road in between the trucks, incredible to be so close the these magnificent creatures without them bothering at all. From here we travelled to lake Manyara to our next camp. Maramboi tented lodge right on the lake front, beautiful location and a very special place. I had my birthday here and my wife had asked Lillian if she could organise getting the room decorated, a cake and some champagne. What a surprise and what a fantastic way to spend your birthday evening, overlooking a stunning lake from a private infinity pool drinking champagne. Memory that will last a lifetime. Again Lillian pulled out the stops and made it happen! Next day safari was in Lake Manyara NP, this is a completely different type of safari, mainly forest and woodland driving very slowly trying to spot the animals in the trees, this is where the climbing lions are although we never saw them it was still an amazing day of wildlife and nature. Highlights here were the elephants in the river and the monkeys and baboons. From here we headed off to Kitela lodge for our next night. Again a beautiful place, calm and blended perfectly into its surroundings. From here it was off to Ngorongoro crater, what a place this is, I am not going to list all the animals and birds because it would take forever but some of the sights were incredible. This really was when the camera came into its own, some of the shots that we managed to get are beautiful. Four separate prides of lions and thousand of animals on the plains. We left here just after lunch as we had a fairly long drive to the Serengeti ahead of us. The road is extremely bumpy, like driving on corrugated Iron sheets for about 4 hours. If you have back pains or issues with this kind of travel then you should consider flying. On arrival at the Serengeti we had another game drive of several hours before we arrived at our accommodation for the next few nights - Kubu Kubu tented lodge. This is another beautiful lodge camp on the edge of some hills giving absolutely stunning views down onto the plains and into the distance of the Serengeti. From our room we could watch the giraffes and elephants strolling across the plains, not to mention the buffalo and Hyena who seem to hang around the camp at night. We have never before thought that an escort was needed to walk 75m to dinner, we did here! This is a beautiful relaxing camp with a chilled vibe in the most incredible of surroundings. This was our base for the next few days as we explored the Serengeti with Deo. Although we had missed the great migration it was still an unforgettable experience. Seeing the animals and birds going about their business with very little consideration or interest in the humans who are gawking at them is a wonderful thing to see. Balloon trip - we had taken the option of a balloon trip with Serengeti balloon safari, this was booked for our second last day. However when we arrived at the launch site the wind was out of limits and the balloon trip was cancelled. We got the option of doing it the next day and although we were flying to Zanzibar the next day we were able to make the timings work. And we are so glad we did! The balloon trip was a highlight for me, having never done it before I would recommend it to anyone who fancies it. The experience from start to finish was fantastic. Another game drive on the way to Seronera airstrip before we said our goodbyes to Deo and got on the plane to Zanzibar. What a fantastic opening week to a holiday. The trip to Zanzibar and the transfers all went without a problem and again Lillian had organised everything perfectly. Even when we left a phone in the safari truck Lillian organised it to get taken to the airport at Arusha the next day, flown across to us in Zanzibar and delivered to the hotel reception!! For this incredible service all we had to pay was the taxi fee from the airport to our hotel. I just wish you got customer service like that everywhere in the world. On Zanzibar we stayed in a beach front pool villa at Ycona villa resort, that will have its own review so I will not go on here apart from to say........ WOW. What a beautiful chilled place. From there again it was a smooth trouble free transfer to the airport and back to reality. All the camps we stayed at on the safari were amazing, really high quality of accommodations and food. They far exceeded our expectations and they really were not what you would expect in the bush in Africa. All of the staff at these hotels were so lovely, I know that customer service is the job, however coming from Europe we are well aware that doesn't always mean a great deal. The staff were friendly, helpful and seemed to be very proud of their country and keen to share the beauty of it with tourists. The group who own this hotel chain are called Tanganyika wilderness camps. Big thumbs up to them, whoever is running them knows what they are doing and is making it happen. Wild pride safari, Deo and Lillian made this a trip of a lifetime and I would recommend them to anyone. So what did we learn that might help people? 1. If you can get a private safari, the difference in the experience is immeasurable. 2. Take or hire a good camera and lens, take the time to find out the settings it should have. 3. Balloon safari if you can. 4. Do not wear navy at the Tsetse fly areas. 5. Tip if you can, it is all appreciated.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Martijn H 
 
2024-08-26
 
 
 Verified 
Unforgettable experience with Wild Pride Safaris
We had a wonderful safari trip organized by Wild Pride Safaris. From the very first contact with owner Lilian, I had good confidence in the organization. We received a clear quotation + Itinery and questions were answered promptly and adequately. We were warmly welcomed in Tanzania with a briefing for our safari starting the next day. Our guide Ally was the best! Not only very experienced as a guide, but also a super nice and relaxed person to be together with. We have talked about many other things during our game drives and learned a lot about Tanzania. Accommodations and food was good (mid-luxury) and we were received with a warm welcome everywhere. The 5-day trip was just well enough for us. Tarangire, Serengeti (2days) , Ngorongoro Crater (a paradise!) and Lake Manyara. Big Five...check! Thanks for the unforgettable experience Lilian & Ally. Martijn Katja Daan en Maud.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Tourist24777828604 
 
2024-08-01
 
 
 Verified 
Don't hesitate...Book with Wild Pride
Had such an amazing safari with Wild Pride Safaris! Saw all of the Big Five in 2 days! Lilian was so helpful and responsive to all of my questions prior to and during the trip. Ally, our guide, was extremely accommodating and truly made sure we had everything we needed. Already planning my next trip and plan to use them again!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Claudia A 
 
2024-06-04
 
 
 Verified 
The perfect safari
We had the most amazing time with Wild Pride Safari, from beginning to end. Lilian helped us organise the perfect itinerary for our 4 days safari, she was always kind and never pushy. She really made our honeymoon special with little gifts and making sure all the lodges where we were staying knew about it. The airline we were travelling with lost our bags, but fortunately Goodluck did everything in his power to get us the bag in less than three hours - I’m sure we weren’t going to get them so quickly without his help. The safari was amazing, Eli (our guide) was knowledgable but also so nice to be around. We could see how much he loved the parks and his commitment to protect the wildlife. We saw all the big five alongside witnessing the great migration. We couldn’t be happier, this was the most incredible start of our honeymoon! Thank you Lilian, Goodluck and Eli! We will never forget our safari.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 cookie-h 
 
2024-05-11
 
 
 Verified 
Things go well if you have trust, security, and safety
They were one of the few tour companies that met my three criteria: short tour days, airport transfers, and solo participation. When I inquired about the details, I was surprised at how quickly they responded. As we discussed the details, I told them that I wanted to stay in Ngorongoro as long as possible, and they recommended a hotel closer to the crater than the original accommodation, and a tour just for me was created. The itinerary attached to the email was full of animal pictures, and just looking at it made me excited, so I showed it to my family and friends. Our guide, Elisante, kept an eye on our surroundings on the muddy roads and in the bad weather with rain and fog, and told us a lot about the lives of the Maasai people and the animals. I was tired after a full day of driving, but they checked the condition of the car in preparation for our departure at 6am, cleaned the muddy interior, and I was able to enjoy a safe and pleasant game drive. Overall, it is a reliable tour company.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Niklas A 
 
2024-04-05
 
 
 Verified 
Great experience, great people, lots of animals, exceeded our expectations!!!
From start to finish, everything was very good and I can only recommend it. Lilian gave us very good advice and put together a perfect tour. Everything was without complications - thank you Lilian! We were warmly welcomed at the airport and after a short picnic we began a 5-hour safari. Baraka and tour guide and Deo our driver are very well trained and showed us all the animals to the best of our ability. We were all amazed and happy. This was always our dream. Our tour guide Baraka spoke excellent German. The hotel was also excellent and our second day continued with a great safari. We can highly recommend the 3-day tour and will always remember it. Thank you very much for everything, keep up the good work, all the best!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Hajira M 
 
2024-03-11
 
 
 Verified 
Nice trip
The trip organized by Wild pride safari was excellent! Lillian was always available and would answer any questions we had within minutes. Deo was a great driver and guide too! Price was reasonable compared to other safari companies. When booking, no need to do city tour of Arusha. 2 days in Serengeti is enough and Ngorongoro Crater is a must. Tarangire is optional. We did 5 days safari but 3 days is enough. Lillian also planned for us to go to Zanzibar which was fun. She booked our local flights and allowed us to choose which hotels and lodges to stay at. Make sure not to do budget safari and at least do midrange safari.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Kat Jones 
 
2024-03-11
 
 
 Verified 
Amazing safari and beach trip!
We just returned from a amazing 2 week stay in Tanzania. I came across this tour company in my search for the best places. Lilian took care of absolutely everything. We gave her a list of things of things we wanted to do along with our budget and put together an amazing trip for my husband and I. Eli was our guide through the parks and he was very knowledgeable about the animals and made sure we could see as much as possible….super nice guy!! Lilian also set up all of our transportation to all 7 of our hotels that we stayed in! I absolutely recommend this company. They will make sure you have the trip of a lifetime!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 TheRealHajdi 
 
2024-02-06
 
 
 Verified 
Perfect experience with a perfect organization
Hello, we went on a 5-day safari, organized by Wild Pride. They offer standard programs which did not really fit to our needs (travelling arrangements etc). I just gave them what I wanted and needed and everything was organized in a perfect and easy way. Communication was very easy - I had previously spoken with a different provider and they were incapable to react to my wishes. Driver - we had Deo as driver - a very nice guy, communicative and with a lot of background information he could give to us and even more important an absolutely professional driver. Animals - well, we saw them all, Deo knew the right spots, the Big Five of course and many many other animals and all close by. So really a great experience. Hotels - we stayed at the Four Season, the Melia at the Ngorongoro and the Melia at Arusha - all were perfect choices. Not the cheapest ones, but that was our selection, Wild Pride took care of a smooth organization. I usually don't write such positive reviews, but here really everything fitted very well and was adjusted completely to our needs. Therefore: at least 5 stars for Wild Pride!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Shane 
 
2024-01-22
 
 
 Verified 
Amazing honeymoon - better than we imagined
Wild Pride Safaris did an amazing job planning our honeymoon. The tour operator was very responsive (often answered within 24 hours or less) and custom built an itinerary that suited our needs. They greeted us with roses for the bride as well as customized “Just Married” stickers with our names on the Safari vehicle. The hotel lodge accomodations were world class. Our driver, Deocary, was with us every step of the way and was very knowledgeable about the animals and the landscape. Thanks to him - we saw the entire Big 5 in one morning. He knew exactly where to be and has a great instinct for where the animals will be.