# 1 What is the best park to go on safari in Tanzania?
I know someone who has already chosen natural parks in the south to go on a safari in Tanzania, namely Mikumi National Park. They may even be good options, but there is no doubt that natural parks like the Serengeti and Ngorongoro are the ex-libris of the country. Not surprisingly, both are included in Tanzania’s UNESCO shortlist of UNESCO Heritage Sites. Easy Travel provides more information about Tanzania Safari travel tips. If you want to know a little more then check out this link, https://www.easytravel.co.tz/tanzania-safari-tours
Thus, either by the extension of the said parks; the great diversity of wildlife; for the opportunity to spot the big five; the impressive “great migration”; and, of course, due to the existence of unique spaces such as the Ngorongoro Crater, the North is the area of excellence for a safari in Tanzania.
# 2 Which safari company to choose?
With around 350 operators based in Arusha, it is not easy to choose who to go on your safari in Tanzania.
Among the items to take into account when choosing the company, pay attention to the quality of the vehicles (you will be spoiled for holidays if the jeep is damaged in the middle of the Serengeti); the experience of the guides (it is different to travel with those who have 10 or 15 years of experience going on safaris in Tanzania or with those just starting); the accommodation chosen; and even, wanting to be more detailed, the type of lunches provided during the safari ( lunch box with sandwiches or hot food).
Soul of Tanzania chose to go on my safari in Tanzania with a company called Soul of Tanzania, after reading very good reviews about it. The fact of having a Portuguese as a co-owner, with whom I met personally in Portugal, also helped in the decision.
Soul of Tanzania is a medium-sized safari company, large and respected enough to attract experienced guides, but small enough to still be able to afford to worry about each of its customers. The jeeps are excellent, the guides super professional, and the care given to the customer is noted in small details such as the sockets to load the electronic equipment existing in the jeep; the binoculars available in the jeep (it is essential to have binoculars); and, of course, the quality of the lunches. While most tourists ate sandwiches, I had hot meals cooked to “eat with a knife and fork”. A small luxury that, on the ground, he knew very well.
The only thing that didn’t go as I thought was the wi-fi. As a result of the reports I had read, I deduced that there would be wi-fi on board the jeep (which was excellent for my travel blogger job ), but that didn’t happen. It was probably a failure of communication between me and the company – nothing to pinch the extremely positive impression I got from Soul of Tanzania.
All in all, the Soul of Tanzania proved to be the perfect choice to organize my safari in Tanzania. And with the advantage of being able to handle everything via email in Portuguese!
# 3 Are there cheap safaris in Serengeti and Ngorongoro?
Not naked and raw, no. From lodges to jeeps, including the cost of entry to the parks, everything is expensive in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro regions. For example, going down to the Ngorongoro Crater costs almost 300USD per vehicle.
Also, and excluding major overland travel companies in trucks, most operators do not offer departures on fixed dates – which would allow solo travelers to join a larger group and thereby make the safari cheaper.
That said, the cheapest way to go on a safari in Serengeti is precisely through the large overland companies, which organize trips on adapted trucks across the African continent, including Tanzania. But it is certainly not the same.
I did my safari in a more exclusive way (and I don’t regret it!). First, because I could decide, according to my will (or, in this case, our will, because I went with my wife), if I would spend more time watching a lion or if I continued the game drive. Every moment, every day. In a word, flexibility. It was, so to speak, my safari; there was no need to negotiate with 10 other tourists what to do next.
Besides, taking the safari with a trusted operator like Soul of Tanzania, I was always accompanied by a driver who was a local guide for many years. Now, since it is impossible to replace the experience, local contacts and knowledge of a specialized local guide, the quality of the safari reflect all of this.
# 4 Why are safaris so expensive?
First of all, due to the exorbitant price charged by the Tanzanian authorities for access to the parks. For example, to access less popular parks like Lake Manyara, you have to pay 45USD every 24 hours; whereas to visit Serengeti or the Ngorongoro Environmental Conservation Area it increases to more than 70USD for every 24 hours. Worse, as I said, to go down to the Ngorongoro Crater you have to pay almost 300USD per jeep. But that is not all.
The lodges in the Serengeti and even called tented camps are not cheap. A night in a median tent, with meals included for two, easily costs 300-400USD (or more). In this regard, I was told that the lodges installed inside the parks pay the State a fortune a month, whether or not they have guests. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for such shocking prices.
Finally, there are also mandatory tips – a concept that is, by definition, nonsense but that, like sea cruises, prevails on safaris in Tanzania. Count on paying at least 10USD of “tip” per person, for each day of safari.
For all these reasons, it is easy to understand why companies can hardly offer a cheap safari in Tanzania.
# 5 When is the best time to go on a safari in Tanzania?
The answer is not linear and depends on the objective of the safari. June and July are good months to see lions in Serengeti, including offspring, because it is very dry and “lions like it” (my guide’s words). There are many lions in the park at that time, concentrated by the ponds – so it is easy to spot them. The same applies to cheetahs.
That said, since there are no particular reasons for the safari (such as watching the wildebeest birth or crossing the Mara River during the migration), probably the best time to go on a safari in the Serengeti is the month of February. It is a time when it does not rain much and when the great migration is easily accessible, in the south of Serengeti.
Because of migration, there is plenty of food (wildebeest chicks) and it is a good time for animals like cheetahs to have chicks. The chances of watching a hunt are greater. Even hyenas become hunters (it is very easy to hunt wildebeest).
