We had a wonderful trip (10 days safari and 4 days Zanzibar), totally spoilt with everything (accommodation, food, drinks and sightings) and wonderful hospitality. Booking was made very easy with quick replies to our numerous enquiries from Pendo. She kept us informed all the way, managing our group of 5 form 4 different countries. Nothing was too difficult, so it made planning the trip a breeze. Payment was also very flexible, as some of us paid by WISE whilst others by bank transfer. When we arrived in Killimanjaro, we were met by Dismas - our guide for the next 10 days. We saw lots of animals - some up close and personal especially prides of lions (a few times). Most spectacular was a couple millions of flamingos at Lake Natron - an unforgettable sight. A great shout out to Dismas and Said (our guide in Zanzibar), both wonderful guides. Said in particular , was a walking historical encyclopedia and such a gentleman. I would recommend Tales of Tanzania anytime!

We completed our safari tour with Tales of Tanzania in September and then some R&R in Zanzibar. We had an amazing time on our safari, excellent accomodation and our tour guide Dismas made special effort to make our safari memorable, I cannot forget seeing 2 million flamingoes on Lake Natron, pride of lionesses with their cubs playing, wildebeest crossing the Mara river and massive number of hippos in hippo pool. A special mention for Pendo who has been so helpful, responsive and accomodating to cater to our requests and needs. You are a star and we appreciate your efforts in making our trip special especially in Ngorongoro crater, the Gran Melia’s views and experience was special. Thanks Tales of Tanzania for my bucket list trip so special. Highly recommended A+++++++

We highly recommend Tales of Tanzania. The trip was very well organized and a lot of fun. The places we stayed at were excellent and the safari trip and Zanzibar visit unforgettable experience. Pendo, the organizer is top professional and very responsive towards everything.

Pendo and Tales of Tanzania Safaris made the booking process from Australia very seamless. Pendo was very prompt in responding to my queries and designed a safari around our needs and desires. Everything she did was professional and friendly. Peter our guide was amazing. He knew everything about people, animals, history and cultures in Tanzania. He went the extra mile to ensure our safari was memorable. From finding all the Big 5 for us to driving us at 4:30am to our hot air balloon adventure over the Serengeti. I highly recommend Pendo and Tales of Tanzania and encourage you to use them for your first or next safari. You will not be disappointed.

We did a family safari early March 2024 for 8N/9D. It was completely amazing!!! Pendo, Tales team, Thadei (our guide) made the whole trip so fun and easy!! Everything was so well organized from start to finish! Completely tailored to our needs, pricing etc Pendo answered the millions of questions I had accurately and timely hehe From pick up to airport to drop off, all was taken care of, from the park fees entries, hotels, itinerary ALL!!! That made it easy with our 9 and 3 years old child and for a first experience to Africa mainland and a Safari! I could'nt think of anything that did not go well! And as a tip and maybe we were lucky, but weather was perfect and sunny!! We had like 1h of rain in the whole trip for the big ''rainy season'' that starts in March!! We saw all the animals, at Ndutu for the calving season, millions of them in one day! Plus lions cheetahs, leopard, elephants, rhino, hippo etc All day always!!! Ngorongoro Crater was a really nice highlight the area is very nice!!! Same for Tarangire to start with, Manyara, Serengeti! In fact all was TOP!! A perfect itinerary would highly recommend :) Thanks!!!

Just wanted to say that Tales of Tanzania Safaris is such a class act. We arrived in Tanzania Kilimanjaro airport quite tired from just finishing a safari in Kenya. Our driver understood and got us to our first stay at a very nice lodge . We started out late the next day due to us being "wiped out " by our first safari. Peter , our driver and guide ----and protector was very flexible but got us back on track the next day. We met Pendo and her sister the second day. The staff is professional , competent and became friends very quickly. getting close to the wildlife is an understatement . Wow , just wow !!!!!!! We ran into some rainy weather and the roads got real dicey . Peters was in tune with the Toyota Land Cruiser Safari and could anticipate the slip and sliding . He can really drive this vehicle !! Our group of four was from Michigan and Alaska and we know slippery conditions. Peter and the Toyota are TOP NOTCH-------Seriously. We also learned about the Massi, and the Tanzanian people through Peter , Pendo and our experiences. This trip was life changing for us . At one point ,we waved at the school kids and they waved at us----smiling ---real , not fake. Travel like this helps the world understand each other . Do it , if you can. all of our stops were top notch. the wilderness camps were just the right balance of wild and safe creature comforts. We highly recommend this Tanzanian owned and operated Company. Kevin and Laura Weston , Detroit Michigan , USA

It was better than I could imagine. We saw so many animals, not only the BIG 5, but many others. The animals were in their natural habitat and seeing them up close and personal was unbelievable. There really are not words to describe this phenomenal adventure. You must book a safari and see for yourself. We do not think we could have had a better safari guide. Peter was amazing and attuned to our wants and needs. He safely drove us to places near and far to get us the best views of the animals. We learned a lot about the animals, people and area from him. We are so grateful for the experience with him. The accommodations were great. We stayed in hotels, lodges and experienced luxury tenting. When they say luxury that is what they mean. Luxury tenting was really fun and gave you the opportunity to listen to animals speaking and moving during the night. Pendo worked with us to create a special itinerary that met our needs and gave us the greatest safari experience and a wonderful and unforgettable vacation.

7 days safari . Pendo was attentive to everything from the beginning. Our guide Fred the best by far. All the hoteles excellent, the attention . highly recommended, don't hesitate to hire them.

My brother in law and I along with Pendo from tales of Tanzania organised a trip of a life time for my sisters 50th birthday this august. This trip was in 2 parts firstly arriving, a 5 day safari and secondly 7 nights in Zanzibar. From the very start Pendo was extremely helpful & knowledgeable always fast to respond to any questions or concerns we had, she helped us build a safari that fit all our needs and budgets and with fitting in as much as we could without over doing it. This consisted of a middle of the road budget that wasn’t the cheapest or the most expensive. We weren’t pushed into particular accommodations either and were given choices, looked them up on Tripadvisor and came up with 4 hotels/ lodges then these were all organised for us and all worked without any problems or surprises. These were: Gran Meliá in Arusha, Marera valley lodge, kudu kubu tented lodge, kitela lodge then back to Gran Meliá Arusha. Zanzibar we organised ourselves but she even helped with questions we had with that. We also had a fantastic driver and guide Bacari? I think that’s how you spell it (sorry if it’s not) drove all day long every day in a well equipped comfortable private jeep and even drove us to north Serengeti for the river crossing that wasn’t on our original itinerary, this was after our early morning balloon ride was cancelled due to high winds. A little information/tip for this, if this is something you really want to do make sure there is a couple of times/days you can do this, if it’s cancelled for safety reasons you may not get another chance. We tried to rebook the following day but Pendo could only get 3 not the 4 spaces we needed and we ended up missing out on this incredible opportunity, we had no problems getting a refund but there was still a tax taken from this even though we never actually did it. This was our only real disappointment but it was out of our hands and unavoidable, there was however no disappointment in the animals we saw, we saw everything I think there was to see absolutely amazing our photos and experiences will stay with us for the rest of our lives, thank you all so much. I highly recommend Pendo and tales of Tanzania safaris and if I booked again wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

We choose Tales of Tanzania because of their responsiveness and for the beautiful accommodations proposed. The prices are similar to other companies, but the quality of communication is great. Our point of contact was Pendo, she is calm and easygoing, will always find alternatives if requested. Our guide was great too, understanding the special needs of our family. To summarize, a great familial safari tour organizer with hakuna matata mindset !

We had a fantastic tailor-made safari. Pendo was in advance very helpful and had great suggestions whilst arranging and planning the trip for us. Said (our driver/ guide) was very knowledgable, great in spotting animals and happily answered all of our questions. He was very understanding and patient, even as we wanted to change the itinerary during the trip. Said is a very experienced and safe driver and knew a lot about the various animals and birds- many thanks to him! Pendo was throughout very caring and responsive- she even arranged a surprise birthday cake on the last evening… We felt very well looked after, and would not hesitate to recommend the company to anyone planning a tailor made trip in Tanzania!

I could fill up pages with my praise for Tales of Tanzania Safaris, but I will try to keep this concise! My husband, 11-year-old son, and I booked the 10-day Northern Safari circuit with a couple of extra days in Arusha on both ends. I researched extensively and reached out to multiple safari companies asking for quotes. We decided on Tales of Tanzania because they provided the best price, a private safari, and excellent communication and they are a Tanzanian based business. I questioned my decision many times in the months leading up to the trip, but I am now confident that it was the BEST decision I made! Leading up to our vacation, I emailed extensively with the owner, Pendo, asking many questions. Pendo was kind, reassuring, and prompt to respond. She tailored the vacation to our desires, creating the perfect itinerary for us and answered every question I asked. She is passionate about her job and committed to making each client’s vacation a wonderful experience. When we arrived in Tanzania, we were greeted by Peter, who was with us for the entire trip. He was our guide, our driver, and became our friend. His knowledge of the country, easy going nature, patience, and kindness were extraordinary. He went out of his way to make our experience perfect. After mentioning our love for coffee, Peter made sure we had hot, freshly brewed coffee with every meal, even while out in the parks. When our son forgot his beloved stuffed toy, Peter drove 4 hours back across the Serengeti to pick it up for him! I will be forever grateful to him for making our vacation the incredible experience that it was. The other reviews mention different guides that people have loved, so I have decided that Pendo must hire all the best guides! (I will always be convinced that Peter is at the top of the list, though!) As for the vacation itself, it was incredible in every way! The animals were amazing, of course, and the cultural experiences were beyond my expectations. The country is beautiful, and the people really are as kind and welcoming as others say they are. I felt safe and comfortable the entire vacation, and the service was unmatched. (The only time we carried our own bags to our room was when we arrived back in the USA!). Stop searching and book with Tales of Tanzania now. You won’t regret it!

From April 15-22, 2023, myself and six of my friends embarked on an extraordinary safari journey with Tales of Tanzania, a family-owned operator based in Arusha. I worked with Pendo, the owner, to plan the trip. Her prompt and attentive responses to my numerous emails, addressing every aspect from lodges to food, parks to logistics was great Our adventure began in Arusha then we went to Tarangire National Park where we saw so many elephants. After we went to Manyara park. Then, we set our sights on the Serengeti, our home for three unforgettable days. The view of the Kubu Kubu Lodge was amazing and left us awe-inspired. We finished our trip in the Ngorongoro Crater before heading back to Arusha. All the lodges we stayed exceeded our expectations. Exceptional views, comfortable accommodations, and delightful cuisine, and everywhere the staff was very attentive to our needs. We celebrated the birthday of one of my friends, they surprised us with a lively dance and heartwarming Swahili songs, my friend had the best birthday ever ! We were fortunate to see so much during our safari. From playful baby lions to lionesses after a successful kill, from herds of over 200 elephants gathering in the Serengeti (apparently for a grand meeting) to the majestic rhinos, hippos, and graceful giraffe. sightings also included various antelope species, olive and yellow baboons, monkeys (who stole our lunch) , soaring vultures, wildebeest, hyenas, agile mongooses, alligators, and so many beautiful bird species. The true essence of our safari experience would not have been possible without our exceptional guide, Dismas has a bionic eye to see from afar all the wildlife and bring us there. He played an indispensable role in making our safari an unforgettable journey, he was attentive to our needs and very knowledgeable about all the wildlife. We had a lot of fun with him the entire week. Tales of Tanzania, with Dismas as our guide gave us an exceptional experience. Their well-equipped and comfortable Land Cruiser provided us with a seamless ride. I highly Tales of Tanzania to all seeking an unforgettable safari adventure. Genevieve, Pat, Jack, Maryse & Gaetan, Laurie and Roberto

We did a 7 day Safari in April with the Tales of Tanzania team and we absolutely felt in love. Pendo and Dismas have organized an extraordinary trip that will remain deeply etched in our memories for years to come. The quality of the accommodation, the food, the service, the punctuality, everything was fantastic. Thank you so much for these beautiful moments.

Just finished planning a trip for September. Wanted to share my trip-planning experience. Pendo has been my primary contact, and she is very responsive. She listened to my needs, wants, and wishes and drafted many iterations of itineraries before I saw one that was the right fit for me. The customized trip for solo travel will allow me to learn about the country while I do some work in between. I look forward to the trip and will provide an after-trip review. Highly encourage you to reach out to Tales of Tanzania to craft the perfect itinerary for you.