Tanzania Specialist Reviews 

13th September to 28th September 2026
Absolutely Amazing!!Tanzania Specialist booked all the accommodations we asked for which made sorting this trip out so easy with great communication from them by emails and phone calls. We spent a week on safari with such a knowledgeable and patient guide with a great sense of humour AUGUSTINO GEORGE UPATU you made our whole experience unforgettable, he told us about the Animals we encountered and the trees as well as some swahili words which my husband and myself appreciated we couldn't of asked for a more professional patient guide who truly had a passion for what he did he really looked after us for which we thank him for even to taking us to the airport to go to zanzibar for a week. All our accommodations were fantastic especially the signature serengeti luxury camp was amazing especially being able to listen to the wildlife around you at night. The food we enjoyed at each location we went to. We managed to fit in the Tarangire national park and serengeti 3 nights with a balloon ride in the serengeti with the company miracle absolutely Fabulous then onto the Ngorongoro. We both totally recommend Tanzania Specialist and especially our guide AUGUSTINO GEORGE UPATU who made everyday just magical and yes we got to see the big five with so much more as well.
Hakuna matata pole pole.
Teresa and Tony

Tanzania Specialists were absolutely amazing from the moment we booked, to the moment the holiday ended and if i could give them 10 stars, i would. They were incredible. We were a family of 6 and from the very moment we landed in Kilimanjaro, we were greeted with a smiling face and everything from that point on was totally taken care of. The camps and hotels that were chosen for us were truly spectacular - especially the “sound of Silence” in the mid Serengeti. It was truly incredible. Our guide for the Safari week was a gentleman called Godson Bwache, and what a gentleman he was. He was extremely knowledgable and got us to places to witness the most amazing experiences of our lives. He was also very kind, patient and very funny. We had such an amazing time and he felt like family to us by the end of the trip. Our second week was spent at the Pwani Beach resort in Zanzibar - and again - it was truly amazing. It was honestly the holiday of a lifetime - and we could not recommend Tanzania specialists enough - and even more so - Godson Bwache. Thank you all for making this the trip of a lifetime…

Amazing trip! Tanzania specialists were very helpful and responsive to questions and issues. Provided lots of information and tips. It was great to have a local contact.

Every detail of our trip was planned exceptionally well, making this a truly life-changing experience—one I will never forget! From beginning to end, Tanzania Specialist was there for us every step of the way, ensuring everything went smoothly. A special thank-you to Joseline for her outstanding planning, attention to detail, and support throughout the entire journey.

Our safari experience was absolutely amazing, and flying to Zanzibar afterward was the perfect way to continue our adventure. My time in Zanzibar and at the resort was wonderful, with beautiful surroundings and unforgettable memories.

My only suggestion for improvement would be for the Zanzibar resort to offer a full-board package, similar to the other resorts we stayed at during our trip. The dinner menu at La Luna was the same every night, and the cost of dining was higher than I would have preferred. More variety in the menu and a full-board option would have made the experience even better.

Overall, I give Tanzania Specialist and Joseline an A+! The trip was thoughtfully organized, beautifully executed, and exceeded my expectations in so many ways. Despite my suggestions for improvement in Zanzibar, I would absolutely recommend Tanzania Specialist to friends and family.

Thank you, Tanzania Specialist and Joseline, for helping create memories that will last a lifetime! ❤️🐘🦒🌅

Incredible experience all around! We didn’t have to worry about a thing while we were there, accommodations, travel to and from the airports, it was all seamless. A completely stress free remarkable experience! Special praise goes to our guide Miraji! Would recommend to anyone booking to ask for him as their guide on this trip. The most kind, selfless, caring, easy going, knowledgeable and fun guide we could’ve ever dreamt of. We felt like family immediately and throughout the whole trip his dedication to our safety and happiness was paramount. Cannot thank him enough for everything. Trip of a lifetime for our honeymoon and we would recommend Tanzania Specialist and Miraji as their guide to anyone interested in this trip.

Dealing with Tananzia Specialist was very dissapointing. It appeared once we signed the contract to go with T S we were just a number. We tried numerous times to contact them and have heard nothing back Very dissapointed

Excellent and knowledgeable guide, accommodations good, food excellent. Jeep in good shape, though cramped. When picked up at JRO, car battery was dead. Communication with TS wasn't as responsive as we hoped, but ok in the end. Overall program well planned, except northern Serengeti Mara River crossing location tent camp was too far away.

Tanzania Specialists delivers! Our trip to Tanzania & Zanzibar was a dream come true. Our driver/guide Kolle was gifted at spotting animals and positioning the jeep for photos. The mid-range accommodations were outstanding, the safari vehicle was comfortable, and water was always available in the cooler. The food exceeded our expectations. We loved being able to build our own trip! Communication was great. Tanzania Specialists has tons of employees & vehicles in case of problems (not that we had any). We ended our safari in the N. Serengeti in mid-September at the Great Migration - it was just amazing! And our Zanzibar resort, NEXT PARADISE, was stunning, with employees who consistently went above and beyond. If you are contemplating booking a trip, don't hesitate. This company delivers all it promises.

An Unforgettable Safari Experience! 🦁🐘❤️

We had the most incredible safari experience with Tanzania Specialist, and we cannot recommend them enough!

A special thank you to Angel, who made the entire booking process so easy. She was incredibly helpful, informative, responsive and always a pleasure to deal with.

The biggest shout-out goes to our AMAZING guide, Chacha! His knowledge, kindness, patience and passion for wildlife were simply exceptional. He taught us so much about the animals, their behaviour, the landscapes, plants, culture and the importance of conservation. He showed us the beauty of slowing down, being patient and respecting nature. My partner even said Chacha brought out the child in him again, reigniting his curiosity and inspiring a genuine passion for wildlife conservation. That alone says everything about what an extraordinary guide he is!

A huge thank you also to Venture, the wonderful photographer and videographer. His professionalism, friendliness and passion for photography were amazing. We loved the previews he shared during our safari and can't wait to see the final photos and videos!

This was so much more than a holiday. It was an unforgettable journey filled with learning, laughter, incredible wildlife and wonderful people.

Angel, Chacha and Venture, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our African adventure so special!

Asante sana! 🇹🇿❤️

Excellent communication and organisation. Brilliant guide and value for money would recommend

While the review is 4 stars, I’ll clarify by saying everything connected to the safari was truly a 5 star experience. My husband and I were looking for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We've always wanted to go on a safari together, so we quickly decided that's exactly what we'd do. We did some research and contacted a few companies and Tanzania Specialists was the best overall. They were quick to follow up on my inquiry and they were able to put an itinerary together that covered everything we wanted to do, during the time of year we wanted, and within our budget.
Given the expenses involved, we were a little nervous, wanting everything to be perfect and also not fully knowing what to expect. As it turned out, we had nothing to worry about. Upon arrival in Arusha, a representative was ready and waiting for us. When we went down to breakfast at our first lodging in Arusha, our driver and guide for the safari, Bruno, was waiting to welcome us and give some details for the day ahead.
Bruno was a tremendous guide through the entire journey, always in communication with other Tanzania Specialist drivers in the area and always on the lookout for animals we couldn't spot ourselves. At least once a day he would alert us to something in the distance that we couldn't believe he'd spotted. It was great getting to know him and learn as much as we could about every location we traveled through from Tarangire to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. He checked in with us constantly during the drives, making sure we were feeling good, stopping when he could sense our excitement to take some photos, and getting us in great position for amazing photos and videos of all of the Big 5 and a river crossing.
We mostly loved how our safari itinerary turned out. Next time we would likely make sure not to have any empty days just getting from one camp to another. But this was just a small hiccup as we had several days of truly amazing game drives during our safari.
We enjoyed all of the hotels and camps that we stayed in, and saw more than we ever could have imagined.
There was another hiccup in Zanzibar with an excursion booking. Tanzania Specialist scheduled a car for us to Stone Town for a cruise, but the departure time was way too late (and the driver arrived late as well) which resulted in us missing the excursion's departure and having to take a random boat out to the actual boat to meet the excursion in progress. Not ideal at all, but the company did work with us to make it right.
All in all, Tanzania Specialist gave us the experience of a lifetime (that we hope to repeat some day)! While we would know more of what we want going in the next time, we would have no concerns at all with booking Tanzania Specialist again.

We booked a two-week Northern Circuit safari in Tanzania with Tanzanian Specialist in September 2026.

Our guide, Philip Onesmo, was exceptional. He went well beyond expectations and helped compensate for significant planning shortcomings. We specifically requested him based on strong recommendations from other travellers, and his skill substantially improved the trip.

In fairness, the operational side of the trip was handled smoothly, with no hiccups or significant issues. That is a point in the operator's favour.

But that's where it stops. The main issue was the choice of accommodation in the Northern Serengeti. We spent three nights there specifically for the annual migration river crossings, yet Tanzanian Specialist placed us at Angata Bologonja, approximately two hours from the known main crossing points. This cost us roughly four hours of potential viewing each day and undermined the entire reason for including that stop or spending three nights atvthe location. It was also an hour and a half pre-dawn drive to the site of our balloon safari. Angata was also selected for two other locations on our itinerary. Given the repeated use of the same brand, I was left with the impression that the operator's relationship with the property influenced these choices more than our interests did.

They also included Lakr Manyara on the itinerary with two nights at Manyara Best View and Spa, which, to my understanding, is owned or operated by Tanzanian Specialist. As we learned subsequent to booking and paying for the trip a year earlier, wildlife viewing at Manyara has been drastically reduced following the floods in recent years, so this stop provided next to no value relative to its time and cost, and did little to serve the primary purpose of the safari.

An extra night at Ngorongoro Rim Lodge also seemed unnecessary. Rim accommodation is expensive, and in our experience one night would have been sufficient. The additional night appeared to support the operator's logistics more than to improve our experience.

When I raised these concerns with the company, I received a boilerplate response that did not address the specific points I had raised.

My advice to anyone planning a safari is to choose an operator that designs itineraries around the client's interests and clearly explains its itinerary and accommodation choices. You should not have to conduct extensive independent research simply to cross-check the operator's recommendations. That undermines the purpose of hiring a safari planner.

CLARIFICATION: We chose Ngorongoro Rim Lodge specifically for its location on the crater rim, for ONE night only. The second night was booked by Tanzania Specialist for their own logistical convenience, not at our request. With our guide gone, we spent most of the next day at the lodge.

Regarding Manyara, guides and travel forums widely report that flooding in recent years has significantly reduced wildlife numbers there. The disappointing game drive was therefore foreseeable, not bad luck. And any professional operator would kmow that. So the rationale for the inclusion is dubious.

Overall, three days that should have been spent on safari became expensive spa days, and three more were lost to long, exhausting drives. We attribute this to substandard itinerary planning.

This was an amazing trip. You planned for every detail. The drivers who picked us up were punctual. The communication was excellent. My family of 4 adults cannot say enough of how pleased we were with this trip. Protas, our safari driver, was outstanding! He seemed to have us in the right place to see the animals at all times. We enjoyed all of the places we stayed. Nyota Lodge however was incredible. Manyara Best View Lodge was the only place we had a few issues with. The dinner menu only had 3 entrees to pick from and they were not ones we liked. My daughter had to order from the kids menu because she did not like the entrees listed. We went from Best View to Nyota Lodge for 2 nights and then back to Best View. It was the same 3 option we had for dinner on the last night of our original stay. My only other issue was our checkout at in Zanzibar was at 11am. Our driver did not pick us up until 3pm. There was no communication as to what we were to do for those 4 hours. I sent an email to the email address in our packet, and called the number on the WhatsApp. The email was not returned until the next day and the woman I spoke to on the phone was driving and never called me back. I checked with hotel reception. The hotel kept our luggage for us, and had a shower we could use after we checked out. However, it would have been nice had this information been provided in my packed. Again, these were minor issues. This was the trip of a lifetime. We would have no issues recommending Tanzania Specialist!
Respectfully,
Tammy Emigh

From the beginning to the end, we had quick precise communication. Text and emails were answered promptly. The booking process was seamless and easy. Thank you, Fanny!! The camps and other accommodations were incredible. The staff and food were over the top. Our driver Steven went out of his was and delivered and exceptional safari and was friendly and knowledgeable. The package that was put together exceed our expectations.

TS was truly a one-stop solution for all our travel needs. They helped us create the itinerary we wanted, and the driving arrangements were smooth and well organized. Their 24/7 helpline was especially impressive - the team was always quick to respond whenever we needed assistance.

All the hotels and tents arranged for us were excellent, and the staff at each location took great care of us throughout the trip. Overall, everything was well coordinated and made our journey comfortable and hassle-free. We had a great experience with TS and would definitely recommend them!

The itinerary was organised just the way we wanted. The Crater, Olduvai Gorge, the Serengeti and Zanzibar made for unforgettable experiences. Our guide Mseti was courteous, knowledgeable and did everything he could to make sure we were happy. Five stars to him and everyone at Tanzania Specialist. 👍

Consultant was good with information provided.
There were changes to the accommodations after confirmation!

Communication from the start was great and Bonny the driver made the experience special

It’s unfortunate that the actions of one person have left such a poor reflection on the company, as that is not an accurate reflection of our overall experience.

We had money stolen from us on two separate occasions, and both my partner and I are adamant that it was our guide. It’s frustrating we don’t have definitive proof, but the circumstances were too coincidental for it to have been anyone else. On both occasions, money went missing when he was left alone in the vehicle. In hindsight, it seems that he sought opportunities to isolate himself in the car so he had an opportunity to go through our bags (i.e., he returned lunch items to the car and dropped us off at toilets while he went and parked). Even if by the slimmest of chances it was not our guide, he was ultimately the last person to leave the vehicle on both occasions and failed to lock it.

The theft significantly soured what was otherwise a fantastic trip, particularly as we had booked this as our honeymoon. The thought and effort that the lodges and camps put into making our honeymoon special was genuinely appreciated and lovely.

The booking process with Prince was also great. He was responsive, patient and accommodating throughout, particularly as we made changes to the itinerary to ensure we got exactly what we wanted from the trip. Similarly, Joseline on ground once we were in Tanzania, was incredibly responsive and easy to communicate with.

Overall, it is a real shame that the actions surrounding the theft have affected our final impression of what was otherwise a very enjoyable trip.