5 Days Tanzania Luxury Safari - Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Top luxury Safari Company in Tanzania

We selected Nata Travel Tanzania based on their long history of excellent internet (the pop-up jeeps!), prompt response to email queries, and proactive effort to provide us a hand-crafted experience tailored to our interests. Nata Travel Tanzania was not the cheapest of the tour operators I queried, but I feel we got great value for our money. We were traveling as a couple, with a single adult (our nephew), who needed his own room; we thought the “single supplement” was reasonable. Janniken tweaked our itinerary several times as we refined our travel plans…we were very pleased that she stayed on our account after we paid our deposit and did not hand us off to “back office” staff (I saw a couple of other reviewers note this as an issue, but we did not experience it). Janniken responded promptly to all my questions and was transparent about prices and options so I could make informed choices. The Nata Travel Tanzania team obtained discounts for our nephew, who is living and working in Tanzania, and handled all the other paperwork, including “Flying Doctors” insurance, without a hitch. We paid in advance via wire transfer in two installments, and promptly received acknowledgement and a receipt from Nata Travel Tanzania. The pre-safari orientation was brief and pleasant (who wants to hang around in an office on a Sunday when you could be out on safari)? and the Kilimanjaro airport drop-off at the end of our trip went smoothly. I got there in plenty of time to deal with the multiple layers of security, check my duffle, and have before my 9:00 pm departure (this after a full day of game driving in Ngorongoro Crater). The Nata Travel Tanzania team was pleasant, professional, proficient in English, and knowledgeable. Information seemed to flow well through the team: Janniken, the billing team, the manager who gave us our orientation and our guide were all on the same page, and all knew what we wanted. I never felt that we were lost in the shuffle. Back to the jeeps. As other reviewers have mentioned, we saw several other safari groups stranded in broken-down jeeps (Land Rovers). We had no mechanical issues at all. Nata Travel Tanzania provided us with a large Toyota Land Cruiser equipped with a pop-top, a cooler, seat cushions (we were very grateful for this amenity, given the condition of the roads), and a hamper with a thermos (we had two serious coffee-drinkers in our party). They also provided several pairs of binoculars, and an inverter for charging electronics. The Land Cruiser had air conditioning, as I had requested, but the weather during our mid-June safari was so pleasant we never used it. Aside from your transportation, the other factor that will make or break your safari is your guide. Our guide, Miraji, was exceptional. He clearly loves his job, and is passionate about the animals. His cheerful enthusiasm, tireless zeal, and entertaining stories and animal facts made even the longest drives between viewing opportunities enjoyable. More than that, Miraji has an excellent eye for lighting and composition, and frequently pointed out photo opportunities, and then positioned the jeep for the perfect shot. On one occasion, he avoided a cluster of jeeps around a female lion to park us near her adolescent cubs (who, he explained, were ignoring their mother’s call, so she would be coming to check on them). Sure enough, minutes after we were in position, the mother lion got up, strolled over to check on the adolescent cubs, and was joined by the male, who crossed right in front of our jeep! On another occasion, Miraji positioned us ahead of two groups of elephants, who converged around our jeep. We took amazing pictures and videos that we have enjoyed many times since returning home. In addition to expertly navigating the deeply-rutted roads (and never referring to a map once during our week-long safari), Miraji was also personally concerned about our well-being. In addition to ensuring we were adequately caffeinated, he did his best to make sure I had tasty and nutritious options that complied with my medical needs for every meal. We visited Tarangire, the central and western Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. I had to fly back straight from safari for work, but my husband and nephew stayed a night at Kibo Palace Hotel before going on to other adventures, and they highly recommend we stay at Kibo Palace hotel next time we safari in Tanzania. I will review the lodges we visited separately.

via Tripadvisor