African Big Cats Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $3,443 to $18,937 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Beth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour guide, Obed was one in a million!
We just returned from an 11 day safari with African Big Cats and I can’t recommend them more! From our planning stages to being dropped back at the airport they were responsive, friendly, organized, and helpful. We had a few ‘wants and needs’ beyond their original itinerary and they responded quickly and gave us options so we could determine what would work best for us. All of our accommodations were great and every camp was very welcoming, knowledgeable, safe, and every meal was great! Even our lunch on the trail was hot, fresh, tasty and not a boxed affair like others that we saw. Our guide, Obed was A+++ and was a huge part of our amazing safari. He is knowledgeable, informed, kind, and fun! He knows everything about Tanzania and understands what a magical place it is. Our vehicle was clean and well-maintained. You will spend a lot of time in the Rover so this is an important factor! He shared his knowledge of animals, birds, geography, history, culture…basically everything you would have a question about. He has great relationships with other guides so he always knew where the ‘happening’ spots were. We really felt immersed in Tanzanian life and felt more like travelers than tourists. Our trip was more than we could have imagined! If you put your faith in Big Cats you will not be disappointed!
Email Adi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect team for the most amazing Kilimanjaro experience!
Imran and his team are nothing short of exemplary. Our group of 8 took the 8 Day Kilimanjaro package with ABC Safaris. The whole experience was like no other. By the end, we felt like a family, accomplishing the daunting yet satisfying task of summiting. Ask to get Imran and his team! I cannot have ask for a better guide/ team.
The whole team really provided a spectacular experience for us. Imran, the head guide is the perfect person for the job. He knows exactly what to do for the betterment of the group. There were instances of altitude sickness in our group and he immediately changed course multiple times to cater to us. The assistant guides David, EZ, and Elias were very knowledgeable and made the trip extremely fun- in the end I also learned a great amount of Swahili! Tosh the chef kept us satisfied with yummy food every meal while adjusting the menu based on our dietary restrictions and needs. All the 24 porters were extremely friendly and helped us in multiple ways, especially some of them going out of their way to join us on summit night. I could go on and on with reasons why you should choose this team on your trip to Kilimanjaro.
Email Raj | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great guide, but improve city driving, vehicle condition, and dietary requirement handling.
I would like to express my gratitude for the exceptional experience provided by our safari guide. His expertise and keen eye were evident as he spotted most animals before any of us did, all while driving. His ability to navigate and provide insightful commentary greatly enhanced our safari experience.
However, there are a few areas where improvements could be made. The drive through the city felt quite fast and aggressive at times, which made me a bit anxious about the possibility of a collision. A more relaxed driving pace would contribute to a safer and more comfortable experience for passengers.
The safari vehicle itself felt somewhat old and worn. Specifically, the door handle on my side was not functioning, making it impossible to open the door from inside the vehicle. Additionally, I was unable to open my window, which detracted from the overall comfort and enjoyment of the safari.
Moreover, despite emailing and confirming our dietary requirements in advance, there was an issue with my son's meal. He has an egg allergy, yet he received a meal containing eggs and had to rely on snacks and medication as a result. After bringing this to the driver's attention, all subsequent meals were accurate and met our needs. I appreciate the prompt resolution but believe that more attention to dietary requirements from the start would prevent such issues.
In conclusion, while the safari guide's expertise and the overall experience were commendable, addressing these areas would significantly enhance the quality of service. Thank you for considering this feedback.
Reply from African Big Cats Safaris
Posted on Jul 19, 2024Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent safari experience with us. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the expertise and keen eye of our safari guide, and we’re glad that his insightful commentary enhanced your experience.
We sincerely apologise for the areas where we fell short of your expectations. Your comments about the city driving are duly noted, and we will work with our guides to ensure a more relaxed and comfortable pace for our passengers.
Regarding the condition of the safari vehicle, we are sorry to hear about the issues you faced with the door handle and window. Further more due to the overall road conditions inside the parks especially Serengeti, issues like these may happen, even if we maintain our vehicles to a very high standard before and after every tour. Ensuring our vehicles are in optimal condition is a priority, and your feedback helps us identify areas needing attention. We will address these maintenance concerns promptly.
Regarding your sons dietary restriction, the information that was relayed to us only requested vegetarian meal option for one person which we catered accordingly, we did not receive the information about eggs allergies. We understand the seriousness of food allergies and the discomfort and worry they can cause. It is good to hear that the issue was resolved for subsequent meals.
Thank you once again for your constructive feedback and kind words about our guide. We are committed to improving our services and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with an even better experience in the future.
Best regards from ABCs team
Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great Tanzanian safari which exceeded all expectations
We had good communication organising the tour, were able to have the itinerary modified to suit us. The mid range accommodation suited us perfectly. Our driver-guide Lavoi was a good driver, knew his animals and birds and a very good guide. The tour through the four national parks was great. A highlight was seeing the Great Migration in Serengeti National Park.
Email Raju | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Marvelous
Good service,reliable and value for money,good communication and very
reliable tour operator.
Email Andrew Krauska | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of a Lifetime with African Big Cats Safari, Tanzania
My wife Jane and I chose African Big Cats Safari (ABCS) for our 20th Anniversary trip to Tanzania after reading the over 300 reviews of other travelers who had loved their experience. We made the right choice. From start to finish it was a first-class, luxury vacation. In my working career, I was a Quality Management advisor so I know what a quality experience looks and feels like. In every way, ABCS "exceeded our expectations."
We spent the first two nights at the Gran Melia Hotel in Arusha to recuperate from jet lag. What a beautiful hotel experience that was. You will love it.
ABCS tailored their 7-day, 6-night luxury tour to my requests, including an incredible Serengeti Balloon Safari which took us directly over the Great Migration and set us down right next to it, alongside eight lions walking parallel to the migrating animals. From the balloon, we could see the great migration from horizon to horizon. It goes on year-round and in February the migration is in the southern Serengeti in the Ngutu region where 8000 baby wildebeest are born daily. It is well worth the added cost to do the Balloon Trip; you won't regret it.
Our safari guide, Obedi (Obe), had been guiding for 14 years and he knew every road, turn, tree, and bush like it was the back of his hand. Without a GPS or map he guided the entire trip from memory. Other guides would flash their lights at him, to have him stop and they'd asked him how to get to their camp, as they were lost. This happened twice on this trip. My wife and I love Obe so much we adopted him and plan to keep in touch with him and use him as our guide when we do our next trip to the Northern Serengeti. He calls us Bebe Jane and Babu Andy now.
Obe always asked me daily what we wanted to see and always delivered.
I wanted to see lions in trees, he knew just the tree that they often climbed and we got great photos of 3 lions sleeping in trees. He did the same for finding lion cubs, newborn wildebeest, warthogs, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, rhino's, Cape buffalo, hippos, leopards, cheetahs on a kill, male lions, and even mating lions. We saw them all. We are avid birders as well and he knew them all and pointed out many that I had missed.
We had previously been to Krueger Park in South Africa and it was a great experience, but in terms of the number of big cats we saw in Tanzania I can honestly say, we saw more each day in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater than we saw in a week In South Africa.
The vehicle was a Toyota Land Cruiser with pop-top roof with seating for six passengers. Most all the other safari vehicles were the same make/model. I am so glad we paid extra for a private safari guide and vehicle as we could move from front to back of the vehicle easily with just my wife and me. The roads are bumpy from Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti but I was impressed with the great shocks on the Toyota. I might also add that after every safari trip, ABCS has the entire vehicle inspected to proactively make any repairs that may be needed.
Besides Obe's experience as a guide and knowledge of the terrain, he was also a skilled driver, both on-road and off-road, and you spend a lot of time going off-road in the Serengeti. He knew when to slow down and take it slow, he knew how to deal with mud and streams of muddy water, and he knew when to turn around and take another route.
ABCS goes far and above most companies would do. We received a free upgrade to a private Bungalo on Lake Manyara at the Maramboi Luxury Lodge which had our own private infinity pool right at the edge of the lake. The second day, after the morning safari I had an upset stomach and Obe took me to a local pharmacy to get some nausea medicine which corrected the problem. On the third day, I wanted an early start for the Ngorongoro crater and we ended up with a great view of the crater, even getting photos of rhinos far down in the crater. On our last night in the Serengeti, I wanted to try some Tanzanian food, specifically Ugali but was unable to get it made at the lodge we were at. Obe, calls back to the office and talks to Emanuel, the owner and when we return to Arusha, takes me to their office and surprises me with a full-course Tanzania dinner with Ugali! Now that's what I call "5 Star service."
There are hundreds of safari companies offering similar trips. They all use the same type of vehicles, stay at the same lodges, go to the same parks, and have comparable prices. I like supporting ABCS because they are a locally owned, small business and not owned by a foreign/European owner. Emanuel, the owner of ABCS started as a safari guide himself, and just as we in America pursue the American Dream, Emanuel is living his Tanzanian Dream, starting his own business, and employing local talent. I'm impressed with him, his Office Operations Manager, Naomi, and the entire team at African Big Cats Safari, and hope other Americans will choose them for their own once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Two pieces of advice:
1. After 25-30 hours of travel, take a two-night stay at the Gran Melia to start the trip.
Emanuel will come over the next day and give you a brief of your booked safari and answer all questions.
2. Pay the deposit and/or balance via a wire transfer as credit cards have an added 5% charge in Tanzania and they don't take international Bank Drafts.
I am a retired Naval Aviator, and a retired Senior Network Engineer, living in the Villages, FL (If you're a Villager, look us up in the Villages Directory if you want to talk). Anyone who wishes to contact me about my trip may do so. I will be posting a trip review, photos, and video within a couple of weeks on Youtube, just search Youtube for African Big Cats Safari and you should be able to find it
Here is Emanuel's YouTube intro to ABCS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9pGWMd8wY
Andy and Jane Krauska
GR
Email natalie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Accommodating, responsive, experienced !
African Big Cat Safari surpassed my already high expectations of what our safari was going to be. I picked them because they were very responsive from the beginning of the planning process, they added me on whatsapp and we discussed all options at length.
From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed by our amazing guide Obed, and felt in very good hands.
The lodges we selected were excellent, we decided to book a range of accommodations from luxury tents to five star hotels - simba lodge, four seasons hotel, intimate zebra camp, Melia Ngorongoro lodge.
Obed was very knowledgeable, flexible, an expert at finding where the animals are, explaining what they’re doing etc and overall a great companion/ fun guy to hang out with!
We had the best time. We visited local tribes and had an especially amazing time at the hadzabe tribe visit, which was a completely last-minute request from us, that african big cats immediately accommodated.
I recommend them highly !!
FR
Email Leslie Bakouche | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A second amazing safari with African Big Cats Safari
Our second safari with African Big cats Safari and we were not disappointed! Our guide LOVOY was absolutely perfect, he showed us the Big five and much more! He was very professional, funny and understanding (some of us got sick with the flu during the safari ). Our hotels were stunning (I recommend Melia Ngorongoro and Serengeti), breathtaking landscapes, we witnessed the great migration of wildebeests and zebras... in a word, it was magical! And I will absolutely go for a third time with this agency
CH
Email Sam Drummond-Brown | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our safari - a blend of adventure and luxury
Our four-day safari across Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Lake Manyara turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable and well-organized adventure. From the get-go, our guide, Lodi, impressed us with his easy communication style, making us feel comfortable and in good hands from the start. We were also able to meet Emmanuel (Managing Director) at the start of the Safari, who gave us a good briefing about our journey including all the information we needed. We met Emmanuel again at the Airport when we flew to Zanzibar – he made sure everything was perfect!
Lodi's in-depth knowledge of the parks and wildlife was evident, helping us spot the Big Five within just two days. His understanding of animal behavior allowed us to be in the right place at the right time, ensuring our safari truck always had the best views.
The only minor tweak we'd suggest is a more relaxed pace. The four days were packed with incredible sightings, leaving us yearning for a bit more time to soak in the experience without feeling rushed.
The accommodations at the lodges were exceptional. From the views to the design and the attentive staff, each lodge contributed to a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The only downside was the limited time we had to fully appreciate the lodges amidst the whirlwind of the safari. For that we recommend a longer trip with more rest time in between.
In essence, this safari, was a balanced blend of adventure and luxury. It showcased the beauty of Tanzania's wildlife and landscapes while providing a comfortable retreat at day's end. Despite the slight time constraints, it was undoubtedly our best holiday, and we would recommend it to those looking for a well-rounded safari experience.
Email Joyce | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and professional company.
We loved our safari. In the months leading up to the safari African Big Cats was very helpful and responsive to all emails. Helped us select the best Safari for our time in Tanzania. We did a private 5 day 4 night comfort safari. We started at Tarangire National park, then Ngorongoro Crater, then two days in the Serengeti, then Lake Manyara on our way back to Arusha. Our accommodations at Eileen’s trees inn and Embalakai Camps we both excellent.
I would definitely recommend staying two days in the Serengeti. And Lake Manyara is lacking but we did have a cool elephant encounter there, otherwise I would skip that stop. Our guide Ernest was excellent and very knowledgeable, we saw it all and enjoyed our time together! Such a memorable trip. I recommend a camera with a good lens, as you will have many opportunities for excellent pictures.