We were looking for the best safari in Africa but were so confused over the options. There are so many companies, different tour options and destinations. It seemed endless but we stumbled on the best safari in Africa, this is what we found.
The Best Safari in Africa
The absolute best safari in Africa is with the company we booked, Safari Soles. This local Tanzanian owned company made our safari a complete joy. Every day we had an experience that was unforgettable and unexpected. Our safari consisted of 5 nights in the Serengeti and two nights in the main town of Arusha. These are the main elements you should consider when choosing a safari and how we decided on ours:
Best safari in Africa # 1 – The destination:
There are loads of safari destinations. We knew we wanted to do an African safari but which country? We looked at all the options before deciding on a Serengeti Safari. Basically it came down to the landscape and the animals. I watched countless interviews with people who have done multiple safari and they all said if you on’y do one in your life make it a Serengeti safari. The vast size and diverse range of habitats make it a true African safari. The abundance of wildlife, particularly the Big 5 and the Great Migration create the most unique and interesting safari destination. I am so glad that we listened and booked a Serengeti Safari as I really believe we found the best safari in Africa!
Best safari in Africa # 2 – The company:
There are a lot of safari companies out there, it became really confusing when trying to decide who to book with. This took us the longest time to work through. Let me save you that time, book with Safari Soles. Before booking I read through every single review for them (and all the other companies). I searched the internet for months scouring chats and review sites. Honestly I couldn’t find anything other than great reviews which gave me the confidence in booking with them, and I’m so glad we did!
This local, Tanzanian owned and operated tour company is excellent. From start to finish we had nothing but the best service, communication and organisation. Everything happened at the scheduled times and dates. Our whole itinerary was executed like clockwork. From the moment we were collected by their first guide to finishing with our last it was nothing but a professional and friendly experience. I would absolutely book with them again and would recommend them to anyone! They really do provide the best safari in Africa!
Best safari in Africa # 3 – The guides:
Your guide is such an important part of your safari. You are with them all day, everyday so it is important that they suit your style. Each day was enjoyable and we could tell that the company was local and had a deep knowledge of the country, culture and landscape. We pestered the guides with a wide range of questions as we loved learning about the Tanzanian culture and were always met with honest and insightful answers. Everyone we dealt with had a great personality and we were able to enjoy our time feeling relaxed and comfortable.
Our guide (the best guide in the Serengeti!)
We loved our guide, Freddy was absolutely incredible! He could answer questions about the history and current state of Tanzania, the town of Arusha and all of the animals that we encountered…he even handled some wacky animal questions from Mike such as “have you seen a monkey riding a pumba?” or “what would happen if baboons attacked a lion?”. His knowledge of and passion for the landscape, flora and fauna of the Serengeti runs deep. He was so enthusiastic about the animals that when asking questions he would regularly pull out his safari guide book and show us the animals he was referring to and point out the differences, explaining how he knew which species he was looking at in the field. It made it easier for us to do the same.
He could pin point how animals would react, why they were doing it and what was going to happen next. Many times he was able to drive and stop, away from other vehicles and we sat….until the animal that everyone was looking at in the distance was suddenly wandering right next to our jeep! He was not only knowledgeable but the right mix of friendly and in control. He was able to organise us without us feeling as though we were being managed. It felt like we were with a friend who had visited a destination before and was showing us around. He was engaged in our experience and also able to let us have some quiet time to relax when we were tired or needed some down time. We highly recommend not only the company but ask for Freddy as your guide and you will have a great tour.
Best safari in Africa # 4 – Itinerary:
Where you go and why is possibly the most important factor to consider. It really depends on the time of year. The itinerary should be set to give you the most opportunity of seeing the animals that you have come so far to see, within whatever timeframe you have. When we were creating our plan we asked about so many different locations and Safari Soles were completely honest about what was worth visiting or not. We could trust them to know what was happening due to the season and help us decide on what we wanted to do. Their plans were great and we saw everything we wanted to. We went back and forth many times changing the itinerary and were so happy with what we finally landed on. They were never annoyed about us asking questions or changing the itinerary and in fact encouraged us to make sure we asked as many questions as needed. This is how we knew that they could deliver the best safari in Africa.
Best safari in Africa # 5 – food and accommodation:
This is a really important factor. You are going to be spending days on the road and you need a comfortable place to rest and good food to recharge. There are lots of options from camping and cook yourself meals to luxury camps and fine dining. We settled on a mid-range safari. This consists of warm meals that were served picnic style and were delicious. Each morning our guide would collect our hamper from the kitchen of our accommodation who prepared everything for our day. It was really lovely to sit down at lunch and have a warm meal with lots of different food options. They also catered for my coeliac and seafood allergy perfectly. Our guide also made sure at every hotel to advise the staff of my allergies in Swahili so there was no confusion. I felt so well looked after and was not concerned about getting sick while with our tour.
Our mid-range tour had some incredible accommodation. We were in tented camps for 3 nights and lodges for 4 nights. Each stay was not only unique but absolutely beautiful. The rooms were decorated with a ‘safari style’ aesthetic and we always had our own bathroom attached to our room. Honestly I couldn’t believe how good our accommodation was, especially in the tented camps. One camp was a migration camp, set up for only 3 months of the year before moving to another location. It was impeccable. Check out our day 3 below for more details but I highly recommend making sure this stay is in your itinerary!
We loved our accommodation and food and recommend a mid-range safari with Safari Soles to anyone who doesn’t want to rough it, but wants to feel like they are on a true safari!
Best safari in Africa # 6 – Best time to visit the Serengeti:
This is also a really important consideration. We wanted to go in the best time for the weather, animals and also the great migration. We chose to go in July ( 10th to 17th July) as it seemed to be a good fit for us. The weather was excellent, slightly cool but not cold, blue skies and almost no rain. The animals were plentiful and the great migration was definitely on its way. That said, we were a little too early for the full migration to be underway and had we been a week later or in August it would have been in full swing. Of course this will change yearly and your booking has to suit when you can actually get away as well. We were really happy with our experience and were glad we went when we did. I didn’t want to be there in the rainy season as it would have made game drives less enjoyable.
Book the Best Safari In Africa
You can book our safari, we highly recommend it for anyone. I was incredibly sad when it was over and am already thinking about returning to do it again! Check out our Safari Soles tour, feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions via email or the comments below- we are happy to help! You can also reach out to Safari Soles and mention you want the same experience as Passport Nomads-and they will arrange a trip to suit you!
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