When we first decided to start planning an Tanzania safari, we quickly found out what so many have before us: there is a huge number of tour companies to choose from, and countless itineraries to explore within them. While interacting with various tour operators to select one, we found James of African Polecat Safaris to consistently demonstrate a clear understanding of what we were looking for and present lodging and activity options that not only appealed the most to us, but that were the most competitively priced. Do not be turned away due to the smaller digital footprint of this company! From our initial inquiries up through settling on an amazing personalized itinerary and through our final trip preparations, James was there for us to answer all questions we had. We changed our itinerary several times due to changes in our availability and what our priorities were while there, and James patiently guided us through it all. On arrival to JKO airport, we were picked up by Brian who handles a lot of their transportation east of Arusha. Brian was exactly where we expected him to be and provided comfortable transportation from JKO to Arusha. Picking us up from Arusha on the first day of our safari was our guide Manfred. Manfred would be staying with us throughout our whole trip, so I really wanted to hit things off with him. Great guy, we liked him immediately. He introduced us to our vehicle where we’d be spending most of the coming week, helped us pack our things into the car, and off we went to enjoy our first day of wildlife viewing. Accompanying us after this first day was Brighton, who came along to get pictures for the company to use on their website and other various media. Brighton was likewise excellent company, and provided his own insights of the local wildlife (we found out later that he helped train others of African Polecat Safaris staff). It is impossible to credit Manfred enough with how fantastic this whole experience was. We booked a private safari for just us two, and Manfred was so kind to make us feel at home in the vehicle and welcome us with water, other drinks, and anything else we needed for the duration of the trip. On a day where we weren’t feeling well, Manfred was happy to alter our daily itinerary slightly (on our request) to return to the hotel sooner than expected. Each evening when having dinner with Manfred, he would ask us what we hoped to see the next day. The first time we had this conversation was after Tarangire (prior to our first day in the Serengeti). I think we said something about seeing a few of the “big five”. The next day, we saw them all (extremely rare), and from then on it became almost a game that we played. We would come up with some requests that were bordering on crazy (“a yawning hippo and more lions” or “two more Mara River crossings”), and every time without fail Manfred would deliver. I can confidently say that Manfred will do the same for you. There’s a lot of time in a car involved in a safari such as ours, and it’s important to expect that going in. These various locations are not very close together (transit ranges from 1.5 to 5 hours), and most of the roads west of Karatu are rough and bumpy. Further, some patience is required to see the sights that you’re looking for. This is why I think that the relationship between guide and client is very important for a trip to be successful. Similar to how James had an excellent feel for what we were looking for in an itinerary, Manfred was easy to talk to and kind, and understood exactly how to make our safari the best it could be. Last point I’ll make about Manfred is that we appreciated the way he shares the road and his knowledge with other guides. His manner of driving is always courteous to others and he frequently speaks to other guides and offers to help them. He’s always positively contributing to radio discussions about wildlife sighting (where others may not be so willing to share that knowledge). We selected a range of activities representative of the northern Tanzania region, including the following: 1 day at Tarangire National Park 2 days at Central Serengeti National Park 2 days at Northern Serengeti National Park 1 day at Ngorongoro Crater National Park 1 day at Lake Manyara/Mto wa Mbu Each park provided exactly what we hoped to see, including the many elephants and baobab trees of Tarangire, the full spectrum of “big five” (even a stray rhino) and a large pride of lions resting near a fresh kill in Central Serengeti, several Mara River crossings (including one where we witnessed no less than six crocodile attacks) at the Northern Serengeti, breathtaking rhino sightings in the Ngorongoro crater, and the wonderful people of Mto wa Mbu just before we had to leave. Manfred and Brighton both were very impressed with how quickly my wife was able to spot hidden animals, and joked that she should come work for the company. For our hotels, we most enjoyed the tented camps (we stayed at Moyo in Central Serengeti, and Baobab and Angata in Northern Serengeti). These offer both comfort and the natural environment we were hoping for, surrounded by wildlife. The food at these camps (and at each of the accommodations we stayed at) was excellent! We loved trying the different local dishes. Though I think the meal I will remember the most is enjoying a boxed lunch gathered around the hood of the jeep, out in the middle of the Serengeti. We would encourage those looking for a great wildlife viewing experience to allow themselves sufficient time to visit each of these parks separately and enjoy their uniqueness. Come visit this beautiful part of the world. But do yourselves a favor and do so with African Polecat Safaris. From start to finish, this experience was unbelievable in every sense and I’m so grateful to James, Brian, Manfred, Brighton, and the whole team for making our safari something that we will never forget.

My wife and I did this tour and our guide was Solomon Godfrey. This was not an easy hike but we had an amazing time. Our guide was outstanding allowing us (me) to take our time (polé-polé) and even carried my backpack for the last portion. Once we reached the Mandara Huts it was all worth the effort. The trail is well maintained and beautiful. Plenty of birds and we also saw Blue and Colobus Monkeys. We strongly recommend this trip and Polecat Safaris for those who are looking for a great day adventure.

Selecting a tour company is a leap of faith: there are hundreds of them offering fairly similar options and the prices range from medium to expensive to exorbitant, how to chose one? Well, we made a list and chose African Polecats on a combination of previous reviews and a competitive offer. James was able to accommodate and provide a series of options in the days we wanted and arranged everything, so we went to Materuni, Safari in the Serengeti, Ngorogoro, trek to the base of the Kilimanjaro, Hunting with the Hadzabe, etc. 11 days in total. The day before the tours, we had a visit from the guides to brief us and recommend clothes or other practicalities (especially important to avoid colours that attract tse-tse flies, do not bring dark blue!). Guides. All our guides were very very good. They were knowledgeable, supportive, funny and very careful with our security. Special shoutout to William, our guide in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro. In some cases, local guides came with us like with the Hazdabe tribe. Mandela was very good and helped us to learn some of the words with clicks and whistles! We did a cycling tour in Mto wa Mbu, which is nice to see different things and an alternative to wildlife. The trek to the basecamp of kilimanjaro was very good, the visit to Materuni waterfalls was good. Wildlife: We managed to see all the animals you can think of (except rhinos or crocs): lions, zebras, hyenas, jackals, giraffes, elephants, wildebeest, gazelles, cheetahs, hippos, vultures and even a leopard (or the spots as it was hidden inside a tree). William knew each and everyone and was very knowledgeable about animal behaviour: he spotted a lion and lioness who were “in honeymoon”, he said, “the moment the female stands, start the video recording” and then, in front of our eyes, the action happened! We saw a pack of lions chasing a gazelle (who escaped) and saw the wildebeest migrating north (not in the Mara river so no crocodiles). Food. The food was amazing! I just do not know how our cook Victor managed to prepare such a high level food as we moved around the campsites. I mean the food was much better than the buffets of our hotel in Zanzibar. And it was always plenty. We saw other groups with lunch boxes with sandwiches. Not us, curries, roast chicken, warm desserts, you name it, delicious. Drinks. We were provided with water bottles, sodas, beer and wine to our hearts’ content along the tours. We were never in want of these. One thing that could be improved is to use re-usable water bottles and a large container to refill these. We saw other tours doing this. Over the 11 days of our tours we must have consumed around 200 water bottles. And whilst all effort is done to recycle them and we did not throw these away, along the roads you can see so many plastic bottles … Tanzania has banned plastic bags, a similar effort could follow to reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles and tour companies can start by using 20 litre containers to refill metal water bottles. Hotels and Campsites. The hotels and campsites were good (Malkia Trees Lodge in Arusha, Fig Tree Lodge, Jungle Pearl, Africa Safari in Mto wa Mbu), and campsites in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro. The campsites are basic, but with showers and toilets that were cleaned mornings and evenings. We have reviewed these separately in case you are interested. One room for improvement would be that for some days the programme was too ambitious, there would be 3 activities and there was no time for all. All our days were packed and there would not have been enough hours to do all the things listed. But small things aside, we had a good time and would recommend African Polecats.

If you are looking to book a safari African Polecat Safaris is the way to go! We had awesome time and we got to see almost everything we wanted to see (animals need to learn too corporate, LOL). African Polecat Safaris customer service is outstanding! We booked the, 5-day safari to Africa leading National Parks. (Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara). Due to fights being late we arrived too late to start the first day of the safari. James of African Polecat Safaris worked hard to ensure we still got the most out of or time there. My wife and I had a great time and we would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend African Polecat Safaris for your next trip.

Amazing experience. Personnel Is young, professional and passionate. Our guide was experienced and we saw wild Animals very close.

My family and I visited Tanzania for the first time and knew we wanted to see all it had to offer on our 6 day safari! The reviews for African Polecat Safaris were great, and we can truly say they live up to the hype. They are an amazing company to work with and we are so grateful for everything they did for us when coming up with our itinerary! They helped book everything we would have needed, from permits for national parks to transfers to and from the airport. James was always very prompt at responding and communicative despite the time difference from the USA. He answered any and all questions, even down to the silly ones. We were very lucky we had Manfred as our driver, he quickly became a part of our family. The accommodations were fabulous throughout our safari. The vehicle was comfortable and had outlets to charge our phones and a cooler with water, sodas, beer, and wine! I would definitely recommend bringing some sort of buff or scarf as it gets very dusty with top and windows open! We will definitely be recommending African Polecat to our friends and family!

Myself and a few other pilots are in Arusha for a week for work, and we like to get out and explore, so we decided to book a day trip to bike to basecamp of Mt. Kilimanjaro (Mandara Hut). We booked the trip for 4 of us, we're met in the hotel by all three people, the owner, the guide, and the driver. After a few hours drive, we started the hike. It was a long day, but full of amazing views, great conversation, and lots of amazing things learned hiking, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and safety from our guide Zakayo (he also goes by Zak). Zak knew so much about everything, was happy to share and teach, and you can really tell he has passion about his home, hiking, being connected to the mountain, and a love to introduce that to other people. He even took it a step further and taught us about the Tanzanian people, and Swahili culture. Zack absolutely made the day, and went so far above and beyond, that that's all my friends and I could talk about on the few hours car ride back. Side note, for those that want to do the full 7-9 day Mt. Kilimanjaro trek to the summit, trust me, Zak is your guy for this mission and you absolutely want him. He's very knowledgeable about climate, weather, human factors such as how we're affected by elevation, and what to do should problems or issues arise. Do check this company out, they were great, on time, communicated very well, and take a lot of pride in the service they offer. Zak's English is great too and kept us laughing most of the time, we all need a Zak in this world!! Our driver Gucci was awesome too. All the best and safe travels everyone.

As a first timer to the region it was important for me to see Mount Kilimanjaro. Not only did this excursion make that possible but they ensured a safe day hike of the mountain. My tour guide Zaka and driver Elijah were phenomenal. They were knowledgeable, courteous, engaging, and spirited. From the comfortable van used for transportation, to the delicious food chosen to optimize nourishment during the hike, the details of the excursion were well thought out and executed. As a word of caution, even tho it is a day hike, be aware that it is a real hike. Zaka appropriately warned me about the potential for challenging weather/climate changes on the mountain. He also gave appropriate expectations that it is a true 14 mile hike and one must for sure be in decent shape to tolerate the physical activity of walking at an elevation and adjusting for the altitude and the physiological effects that has on your body. In all, I would absolutely recommend this tour and team and would definitely consider returning myself in the future

We went on a day hike with Zakayo and had the best time. He was very open, gave us a lot of information about the animals and the vegetation we encountered and was just overall very pleasant to talk to. As for the hike, it was very nice. The views were great and the hike itself is doable even for someone who is not in a great physical condition.

Zakayo our guide and driver, Elisha, were amazing! Punctual, friendly, thoughtful, knowledgeable. Zakayo made sure we were taken care of and met us at our pace. He was friendly and encouraging. Would recommend him! Elisha accommodated us well needing lots of air conditioning. Clean vehicle. Smooth vehicle.

Really helpful and kind tourguide. Very knowledgeable and brings information over in a fun way. Goes beyond his way to ensure a nice safari experience!

Don’t miss going with Zac to Mount Kilimanjaro, especially if you’re limited on time and don’t plan on going to the summit. I did a day hike because I wanted to see this majestic mountain and I really had the best time with Zac and our driver Elisha. Zac is really knowledgeable and super fun and friendly, you’ll have a blast! I highly recommend this tour!!

We chose African polecat out of so many operators, because they are owned by a local (let's support he local business). Also they gave us a really reasonably priced fly in and fly out option (they picked us up at the hotel on Zanzibar and dropped us of there) and they were quick in responses and very reliable. Feel free to check out the places to stay and communicate them to James. He will adapt the itinerary accordingly. Also feel free to say where you wish to stay for another night (we stayed in Serengeti for two nights and it was magical). Let me say this was the best experience of my life. Of course we saw so many different animals (you cant even imagine how many) but also our guide Manfred made this trip really special. He fulfilled all our wishes and went the extra mile (literally) to give us the best experience. He was so polite and kind and funny and educated. He told us not only about the animals and nature but also about the country and its people. He trully brought Africa closer to us. We have seen the big five (all animals at least 3 times except for Rhino which we saw once). If you are abut to book a tour, ask James if Manfred could be your guide. You won't be sorry. What I liked about our itinerary was that it included enough time to actually see all the animals and at the same time experience all of the national parks. We flew in to Serengeti and then drove towards Arusha, where we flew from at the end of our trip. All the drinks, food and everything else was provided by the tour operator and the hotels. I would recommend Moyo tented camp (an elephant and a giraffe visited it while we were eating lunch) as it is new and not so crowded. The car was really comfortable. I would recommend to bring at least one shirt for each day as it gets sandy because of the road. Also bring some sweaters as it tends to get colder at night.

The hike was very beautiful and having the company of an intelligent Tanzanian guide made the experience enjoyable. He knew a lot of interesting facts about the mountain, the history, the animals there and their habitat and Tanzanian politics and sports. The lunch was good and he brought lots of water. He was also considerate about changing his pace when necessary to suit my needs. Thank you. An overall incredible experience I'll never forget.

Great communication booking and whilst we were in Tanzania from James at African Polecat Safaris Guide/driver Manfred was a great guy and looked after us the entire trip - 10/10 Not forgetting Action who provided some fabulous food at lunchtime. Overnight stay at Jungle Pearl resort was also brilliant Ngorongoro Crater is a must for anyone visiting Tanzania - it is an amazing place on its own but with bucket loads of animals to see it really is an unbelievable experience