Arusha Wildlife Trips

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect as safari tours seem expensive, and I kept wondering if it would really be worth the cost. But it absolutely was. From the first day I knew I’d made the right choice. Every game drive felt like a new adventure. One morning we watched a group of baby elephants playing in the dust while their mothers stood nearby. Later, we spotted a hippo yawning near a watering hole. So close we could see its giant teeth! And the sunsets? Incredible. Our guide was excellent. He was friendly & funny. The group dynamic was easy and fun. We had a mix of people: a couple celebrating their anniversary, a solo traveler from NY, and me with a close friend. It never felt awkward or too crowded. You don’t need to be super fit for this tour. Everything is done at a relaxed pace and was very accessible, even for folks who aren’t used to rugged travel. If Tanzania is on your list, my advice is that you don’t overthink it. Just go. It’s 100% worth it.

This was undoubtedly the best trip I have ever been on! To the person who planned, implemented and succesfully put this amazing experience together - the next round is on me! Thank you! The Trip Managers were exceptional, and put any worries or concerns I had away from first contact until the end of the trip. They were not only highly qualified Safari Guides but also drove the safari vehicles (which were perfect for spotting the Big 5) and made the trip safe, informative and fun. From seeing a cheetah walking into the sunset on our first day and the countless lion sightings in the Maasai Mara to meeting the inspiring people at the Mirror of Hope Foundation to watching the sun rise on Kilimanjaro in Kenya. To then crossing the border and seeing the never ending abundance of wildlife in Tanzania's diverse parks - elephants, hippos, buffalo, lions, giraffe, zebra, warthogs, more lions, leopards in trees at sunset... they just kept coming and coming and each sighting was more special than the next... this will always stay with me. The accommodation was WAY better than I expected, I had monkeys swinging from trees most days in front of my deck/porch, mongooses playing around the garden beds and even the Great Migration walking right past our Special Stay tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti. En-suite toilets, plush linen on King sized beds, electricty and hot water, tea & coffee stations and all with great views into nature to look out for wildlife walking past. As for the food, with buffet meals every day, I certainly didnt leave this trip skinnier and couldnt get enough of the local cuisine along side some international flavours. This trip might be pricey, you might be concerned about what people might "think" they know about Africa but this trip took my breathe away, will stay with me forever and I cant wait to go back on another safari in the future. Just do it...

Amazing 11 days with fantastic local trip managers who knew all the animals, plants and parks like the back of their hand. We saw all Big 5 within days including cheetah, leopard and lion kills. The parks chosen to visit give a lot of variety to each game drive so it’s never repetitive! Our TM’s were a wealth of knowledge and extremely personable and witty- great banter and always happy to help. Days could be long up to 10 hrs game driving but we saw so many animals and big cats so it was worth it. The accomodation was superb, staying in the actual reserves was incredible, listening to lion calls while falling asleep. Mozzie nets provided and bottled water at all lodges. All the food offered was delicious, mainly buffets with local and western style dishes and catered for lots of dietary restrictions. Only 2-3 meals not included In the price which is far better than other tour companies. The trip is a smaller contiki group than other European ones, we had 8 for Kenya and 6 for Tanzania but two safari jeeps and two trip managers so it was a close knit group. The slum tour and Masai village tour was eye opening and a must do. I didn’t feel unsafe once and all the locals we met were friendly and excited to meet us. Overall, not a party contiki but beers and a safari sunset while enjoying all that Africa has to offer is once in a lifetime opportunity. Tip: bring sanitary products for the women at the Masai village to give at the end of the female discussion.

This holiday delivered on every front. We saw so much wildlife and enjoyed the variety of parks and environments. We were very lucky in having a small group and this added to the enjoyment. The Tortilis camps are fabulous and on 2 occasions catered for only 4 guests eight 18 staff. The tents are wonderful and met all our needs. However our fellow guests did experience issues with hot water for their shower on several occasions but staff did endeavour to resolve the issue each time. Hamse, our guide, was great and also helped us arrange an air balloon trip over the Serengeti which enhanced the overall trip.

An African Safari has been on my bucketlist for years and the Kenya & Tanzania Safari exceeded all of my expectations! It was an amazing once in a life time trip. The guides were wonderful and very knowledgeable. They were excellent in knowing where the animals could be and getting us as close as they could to them. All of the add on activities were 100% worth the money and time. The Village tour and the Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary were highlights of the trip. If you are even slightly considering doing a safari in Africa with Contiki let this be your sign to just do it. You won't regret it.

Omg this trip was amazing! I have no words to describe how incredible my experience was, from seeing the animals in the wild to the learning about the culture. I have learnt more in the last few days on this trip than I ever did at school, both tour guides were filled with so much knowledge & took us to some pretty epic places. I could not recommend the tour & the tour guides enough, I will be speaking about this trip to the day I did. I loved it sooo much.