Aug 12, 2023
SSS: SURICATA, the SAFARI of your DREAMS - Top Safari with Suricata safari
Very satisfied after a safari organized with Suricata Safari, chosen for the excellent reviews and for the courtesy and speed in responding to all our needs of Tizia, the Suricata sales representative.
Suricata organized a personalized safari for two people, arriving in Arusha on the first evening, and then continuing with two days in the Tarangire Park, one in the Lake Manyara Park, two days in the central and southern Serengeti and one in the northern Serengeti up to the river Mara to see the migration, one day in Ngorongoro and then, returning to Arusha, the Materuni waterfall and the nearby thermal pools. On the last day, before leaving from Kilimanjaro airport, we took a tour of Arusha.
The difference in comfort with other tour operators was clear: if the others at the stopping points had lunch with sandwiches, we ate hot meals prepared by the chefs of the lodges/tented camps where we stopped with tablecloth, plates and cutlery.
We were lucky: our Safari guide, Mandela, proved to be very competent with specific training as a tour guide for Tanzania, polite, friendly and always available. Excellent driver on dirt roads and, above all, with a supervisor capable of identifying local fauna in the grass. He has always proven himself far above our expectations in all circumstances: it is worth insisting on having him as a guide. A good guide on a safari makes the difference (it wasn't our first safari) and Mandela is THE GUIDE that everyone wants to have. He speaks excellent English, hopefully he will also study Italian. Thanks to him it was possible to observe everything we wanted to see on a safari, he always coordinated with the other guides to always find us in the best positions to observe the pair of cheetahs rather than the migration across the Mara river, or to let us meet the Maasai children. Professionalism like Mandela's truly makes the difference compared to other local tour operators. He always kept the Toyota Land cruiser spotless, ours even had a mini fridge with fresh water always available.
I recommend our itinerary to everyone, which allowed us to see all the Big Five, and much more, without effort and without stress.
Suricata is the owner of a new, fenced lodge, not yet listed on Tripadvisor: the Suricata Boma Lodge at Lake Manyara. It is the most beautiful place we have been: very clean, excellent food, spectacular view of Lake Manyara. Large and very clean swimming pool with sun lounger area and poolside bar, excellent massage center (I tried one with satisfaction), very kind and competent staff. The Boma lodge, in itself, is an architectural jewel: the common areas are large and furnished with exquisite taste, you can see the care in the choice of details from the furnishing fabrics, to the tablecloths, to the chairs and tables. The bungalows, single or, as in our case, double, are beautiful. Air conditioning in every room, large windows overlooking the lake, minibar, private garden, very large beds with mosquito net. My advice is to stay at least during the visits to Tarangire park and Lake Manyara park in this splendid structure, which is truly much above average.
Then we stayed at Serena lodge, while staying in the central Serengeti. Only decent lodge, let's say a good three-star hotel in the middle of the park, that is, in the middle of nothing for kilometers, hence the stellar cost for the services offered which, despite the blazon of ancient splendor, were unofficial: frankly I have seen other more beautiful in the Serengeti and I don't feel like recommending it, due to the terrible quality/price ratio, poorly trained staff, too crowded so the staff - scarce - couldn't keep up with the demand.
Then we went to the Angata migration tented camp, in the northern part of the Serengeti, a good solution for observing the migration of the six million wildebeests, which periodically cross the Mara river. Very friendly staff and excellent food. The structure is a tented camp, not fenced, therefore at night with passage of buffaloes and hyenas, among others…
The beds are large, surrounded by mosquito nets, there is cold running water and electricity 24 hours a day, while the hot water from the shower, always very abundant, must be requested 10 minutes before the shower. The bathroom is completed with a sink and a toilet closed by a curtain. However, the internal space is large, you feel comfortable standing and in front of the entrance, closed by a zip, there is a small terrace with two armchairs. In the evening the staff lights a bonfire. During the hours of darkness you can only go to the tent accompanied by camp staff. Included, guests are given a walkie-talkie to communicate with the staff, who respond promptly to every request.
In NgoroNgoro we stayed at Ang'ata Camp Ngorongoro: to avoid, terrible accommodation, terrible staff, no hot water for the shower because it is impossible to mix with the cold one. Insects. If they offer it to you, ask for any other accommodation.
The parks differ in their environment. Tarangire is hilly, with sparse groves and small clearings, a river and many lakes where the animals go to quench their thirst. It is the elephant sanctuary, we found ourselves among a herd of 19 specimens from matriarchs to yearlings. Then lions, buffaloes, ostriches, mongooses, zebras, impalas, giraffes, warthogs, wildebeests, marabou etc..
Manyara park is on the edge of the lake of the same name: it is more difficult to see the animals that suddenly appear in the middle of the bush. But you can see monkeys, elephants, impalas, dik diks, warthogs, zebras and buffaloes, wildebeests, eagles and hawks and other birds.
The Serengeti is THE PARK. As large as Tuscany, it has different habitats: the savannah, the rocks, the hills, the woods, the scrub, the rivers, the lakes and everything as far as the eye can see. In the first 10 km from the park entrance we encountered a serval, a family of lions, many elephants. Then gazelles, hyenas, giraffes, elands, impalas, ostriches etc. The highlight was the following day where we met a cheetah with three cubs: between one game and another the cheetah mother went hunting, successfully, bringing the prey back to the cubs. And then an adult male leopard on the rocks, and many more lions and buffaloes and younger leopards. We stopped for a break at the hot air balloon departure area for a tour around the rock used as an example for the film "The Lion King", where a local guide told us about the habitats and history of the Serengeti.
The Ngorongoro crater is a marvel: sheer walls from 2400 meters to 1600 meters of rainforest with a central plateau with two lakes and a river, savannah and woods. Perhaps even a two-day stop could be indicated.
The rest of the Suricata team were also helpful and professional: Ally met us at the hotel and for the initial briefing and after the safari.
Then Mr T, Ally's brother, who acted as our guide for the trip to the slopes of Kilimanjaro: friendly, very kind support and constant encouragement during the 6 km trek of the excursion towards the Materuni waterfall. The "local" lunch was excellent - the green banana and sweet potato soup was tasty - and the local coffee was tasted. The trip ended with a bath in the nearby hot springs.
The museum of African art and art gallery of Arusha is worth a visit, the Masai market can be avoided, while the city market is fun, immense and with excellent fabrics, visited in the company of the guide provided by Suricata.
Suricata boasts an excellent organization, with the plus of trained, helpful and polite collaborators: a plus that comes at a cost which, however, ex post, was truly worth paying! Excellent relationship between the very high quality, compared to other tour operators and other safari stories exchanged during stops - and the price. Super recommended to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor