Dorobo Safaris
Dorobo Safaris
5
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About
40+ Years of adventure and safaris across Tanzania The “twang” of a Hadza bowstring in the evening light, elephants like ghost trains under a full moon, the tense silence caused by the guttural growls of a lioness protecting her cubs –these are the kinds of experiences that Dorobo Safaris from its beginning several decades ago has tried to share with visitors to Tanzania. Experience local cultures, ecosystems, and wilderness areas.
Arusha, Tanzania
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
96 reviews
Excellent
96
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Mike
Birmingham, AL5 contributions
Dec 2019
My wife and I went on safari with Dorobo during the last week of December. Since we only had a little over a week in Tanzania, the first half of our trip was spent with Dorobo. To say that Dorobo exceeded our expectations would be an understatement. Dorobo (and our guide Killerai) made sure we were able to see as much as we possibly could during our condensed trip. Dorobo came up with an itinerary that catered to our wishes to see wildlife while also taking into account the weather/rain/migration. The camping and walking safari portion of our trip was spectacular. Killerai’s knowledge of wildlife/plantlife, geography, and history made this experience a highlight of the trip. In addition to this, the camp crew made us feel right at home on the Serengeti with the most amazing food and hospitality. Our experience with Dorobo was exceptional and we hope to go on a safari with them again one day.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon
3 contributions
Mar 2020
Wow! It’s hard to find words to express our appreciation for such an amazing safari experience with our family. My husband and I travelled with Dorobo in 2010 and, since it is a truly wonderful company to work with, we booked a two week safari for 9 of us from ages 9 to 76 in early March, 2020. As in 2010, Mike from Dorobo was just amazing, helping to plan our itinerary and making all the arrangements, even to suggesting what to pack. Having been there in dry season, we were a bit nervous about the rainy season but could never have predicted how incredibly beautiful the landscape would be. Happily rain never once interfered with our activities. It's not a stretch to say we made family memories to last a lifetime. Interacting with the Masai, Iraqw and Hadza peoples again was incredibly special. Our 6 nights mobile camping were just great, camp staff were outstanding and totally spoiled us. We were most impressed by the lodges Mike chose for us for the rest of our nights.
Killerai (we asked for him again) and Daudi are simply the best guides we could ever have had. Not only are they expert in identifying wildlife, but they are so enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. Clearly they love their work. Nothing was ever too much trouble for them and they were unfailingly cheerful and funny.
As our trip was ending, we became concerned about getting home due to Covid-19 crisis unfolding. Mike monitored our flights and we relied on his careful assessment and reassurances to complete our itinerary.
We highly recommend this company!! Dorobo has twice shown us that it is the best.
Killerai (we asked for him again) and Daudi are simply the best guides we could ever have had. Not only are they expert in identifying wildlife, but they are so enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. Clearly they love their work. Nothing was ever too much trouble for them and they were unfailingly cheerful and funny.
As our trip was ending, we became concerned about getting home due to Covid-19 crisis unfolding. Mike monitored our flights and we relied on his careful assessment and reassurances to complete our itinerary.
We highly recommend this company!! Dorobo has twice shown us that it is the best.
Written April 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dana S
3 contributions
Feb 2020
My wife and I extremely enjoyed our safari trip of February 2020. Unfortunately, the previous months' rains made a few of our locations inaccessible, but we still thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We are seriously considering making a future trip to explore areas of Tanzania that we did not explore this past trip and only using Dorobo Safaris as our company. My wife and I were able to add over 250 species of birds to our overall world life list plus all of the mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that we encountered. As a wildlife biologist, I understand that we are not always guaranteed anything, so we went into this trip not expecting to see wildlife that are common to see on these types of trips and we were very happy about everything we experienced.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan S
La Jolla, CA3 contributions
Jul 2023
75 five-star reviews kind of says it all.
We just returned from a 12-day Dorobo safari with family and friends (ages 29 to 76) and it was hands down the best adventure we’ve ever had. Since it was our first safari, we largely left the itinerary in the very capable and dedicated hands of Simon Peterson who did a fantastic job of arranging a variety of experiences for us. Our guide, Simon Kivuyu is extraordinarily knowledgeabe, experienced, funny, patient, generous, and aways able to find animals away from the crowds. His love and respect for wildlife is infectious and he opened our eyes to birds. Simon is also an amazingly great driver and clearly knew every road and track in every park and often helped out other guides who were lost. (He was also very safety conscious, impressing upon us the importance of checking the tires 😉).
We stayed in a range of accommodations—tent camps, hotels and mobile wilderness camps—all of which were a treat. Ending up at the Dorobo mobile camp in Tarangire and spending two nights in the Tree Nest overlooking a watering hole that drew hundreds of elephants and buffalo was definitely a highlight of the trip and one that we’d be hard-pressed to duplicate, and will always remember.
Not one thing went wrong on this trip; it was meticulously planned and executed. We highly recommend that you put yourselves in Dorobo’s hands.
We just returned from a 12-day Dorobo safari with family and friends (ages 29 to 76) and it was hands down the best adventure we’ve ever had. Since it was our first safari, we largely left the itinerary in the very capable and dedicated hands of Simon Peterson who did a fantastic job of arranging a variety of experiences for us. Our guide, Simon Kivuyu is extraordinarily knowledgeabe, experienced, funny, patient, generous, and aways able to find animals away from the crowds. His love and respect for wildlife is infectious and he opened our eyes to birds. Simon is also an amazingly great driver and clearly knew every road and track in every park and often helped out other guides who were lost. (He was also very safety conscious, impressing upon us the importance of checking the tires 😉).
We stayed in a range of accommodations—tent camps, hotels and mobile wilderness camps—all of which were a treat. Ending up at the Dorobo mobile camp in Tarangire and spending two nights in the Tree Nest overlooking a watering hole that drew hundreds of elephants and buffalo was definitely a highlight of the trip and one that we’d be hard-pressed to duplicate, and will always remember.
Not one thing went wrong on this trip; it was meticulously planned and executed. We highly recommend that you put yourselves in Dorobo’s hands.
Written August 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ericson Family
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States3 contributions
Sep 2021
Our 11 day safari with Dorobo exceeded all of our expectations. We had heard about the eco-friendly approach that Dorobo has towards going on safari and were excited for our trip. Everything was perfect . . . we felt completely safe from Covid as Dorobo has been leading the charge on testing, vaccinating, disinfecting, etc. From the walking safaris to the "Tree" to the time spent with the Maasai and Hadzabe to the splendor of the Arusha National park, Tarangire, Ngorogoro Crater and everything in between, our experience got better each day and added to a lifetime of memories. Our guide, Douglas, and camp staff, Gideon and Hagai, made us feel welcome, safe, comfortable, well fed and well informed. Douglas was extremely knowledgeable about the land, the people and their cultures, the animals, the birds, the landscape and the history of the area. We got a great education! Our camps were always comforting and the food was plentiful and delicious. This was supposed to be one of those "once in a lifetime trips," but something tells us we will be back to explore more of Tanzania including the Serengeti. One thing that is a "given," is that when we come back we will definitely book through Dorobo!!
Written October 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kramertown
Pismo Beach, CA6 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Dorobo trip advisor review
If you want a basic safari, you can book with any tour company. But if you want a unique and exceptional safari then there is only one choice - Dorobo Safaris.
You can spot the Dorobo land cruiser in the parking lot even without a company sign. It will be the dirty one next to all of the clean ones. That’s because Dorobo will take you where other tour companies don’t go and you will experience things no other visitors experience. If you want to rush through the Serengeti, moving quickly from one cluster of cars looking at the same animals, book with any tour group you want. But if you want to really watch the animals and learn their habits, book with Dorobo.
Throughout our trip we were places without other cars, stayed longer, and learned more. When we did see other cars, their guides would be in the driver’s seat on their mobile phones. Our guide would explain what we were seeing. For example, when we came upon a pride of lions our guide predicted ‘watch, they will greet each other with cheek to cheek.’ A few seconds later his prediction came true. When other cars left, we stayed to watch. Our patience was rewarded when a trio of lion cubs emerged from the grass with their mother.
Their cultural visits with the Hadzabe and Maasai are unparalleled. Their unique tree nest where you can listen to the animals near a remote watering hole was spectacular. Their guides are exceptionally knowledgeable. For example, on our recent 12 day safari we saw 33 mammals and 67 different birds. I don’t know a single person who could identify 67 different birds, but our guide could identify them on sight and knew details of their lifestyles.
In summary, if you want exceptional you want Dorobo Safaris.
If you want a basic safari, you can book with any tour company. But if you want a unique and exceptional safari then there is only one choice - Dorobo Safaris.
You can spot the Dorobo land cruiser in the parking lot even without a company sign. It will be the dirty one next to all of the clean ones. That’s because Dorobo will take you where other tour companies don’t go and you will experience things no other visitors experience. If you want to rush through the Serengeti, moving quickly from one cluster of cars looking at the same animals, book with any tour group you want. But if you want to really watch the animals and learn their habits, book with Dorobo.
Throughout our trip we were places without other cars, stayed longer, and learned more. When we did see other cars, their guides would be in the driver’s seat on their mobile phones. Our guide would explain what we were seeing. For example, when we came upon a pride of lions our guide predicted ‘watch, they will greet each other with cheek to cheek.’ A few seconds later his prediction came true. When other cars left, we stayed to watch. Our patience was rewarded when a trio of lion cubs emerged from the grass with their mother.
Their cultural visits with the Hadzabe and Maasai are unparalleled. Their unique tree nest where you can listen to the animals near a remote watering hole was spectacular. Their guides are exceptionally knowledgeable. For example, on our recent 12 day safari we saw 33 mammals and 67 different birds. I don’t know a single person who could identify 67 different birds, but our guide could identify them on sight and knew details of their lifestyles.
In summary, if you want exceptional you want Dorobo Safaris.
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary M
Tucson, AZ16 contributions
Jun 2023
Two weeks ago my husband and I returned from a Tanzania vacation guided by Dorobo Safaris. We were part of a group of 15 adults pulled together by one seasoned traveler, who discovered Dorobo a few years ago and left the experience imagining doing it again with good friends! We are in the outdoor recreation / guiding experience ourselves, and have had the opportunity to enjoy a few other outdoor adventure vacations; so I feel well qualified to say that the Dorobo experience is simply excellent. Dorobo took amazing care of us, from the moment of picking us up at the airport to delivering us back there at the end. The lodges they chose in the three parks we visited were comfortable, welcoming, and added onto the care they delivered. Our guides were on par or surpassed the best guides we have ever known or experienced. See the Trailblazer and Christopher A posts for more on that! We saw all of the animals on the classic list ~ but the real joy was all the country and smaller creatures and natural history stories in between the big sightings. I kept a list and we saw 99 animal species : 8 predators, 5 omnivores, 5 types livestock, 2 mixed feeders, 5 browsers, 4 others (reptiles and bees), 14 grazers, and 56 birds. We asked 100s of questions and learned so much, about natural history as well as conservation. In many ways, the small creature moments were the most memorable -- the nesting love birds, bee hives, the Goliath heron nesting in a tree above Nile crocodile. Discussion of the interplay between people and land and wildlife, particularly with regard to the Masai, was a constant theme. As one who has been actively and professional engaged in conservation for over 30 years, this aspect was incredibly stimulating and intellectually challenging. I could go on and on. To sum it up, this was a PEAK EXPERIENCE ~ an amazing time of friendship with our group and guides, a time of living in the moment, recharging intellectually and creatively, and immersing oneself in a totally different place. I can't recommend DOROBO enough, and can't wait to return. I'm already dreaming about a future trip, during which I would like to spend some time experiencing the landscape on foot. Though nothing beats the amazing feeling of sunset wind on your face standing in a safari truck exploring the Serengeti!
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MvdL
11 contributions
Sep 2022
We had booked an 11-day mountain biking/walking safari with Dorobo. This was our second time with this specialist company, the first experience being a hiking and biking safari through the Simanjiro plains in early 2020. We absolutely loved this, so expectations were set high. Dorobo didn't disappoint, in fact our time in Tanzania exceeded anything we could have imagined or hoped for. The Tarangire wilderness delivered wildlife and birdlife in the thousands but above all, the Dorobo staff made this experience extra special. Our guide, Joshua, is highly experienced and his knowledge of the Tanzanian bush greatly enhanced wildlife sightings, including some very special ones (oryx, gerenuk, lesser kudu). Perhaps more importantly we always felt safe in his company, including during some close encounters on foot with elephants, lions and buffaloes. The other camp staff, Johnny, Olemaria, Kimambo|Baba Glo were also outstanding, always making sure you felt at home and your needs were well looked after. BTW the food in camp was always delicious regardless of how remote we were. Following 7 days in the Tarangire wilderness, we biked up the Rift Valley escarpment into the beautiful Nou Forest, where the air was cool and the greenery formed a nice contrast to the dry savannah. After a night there, with some close elephant encounters before dinner, we biked downhill, through picturesque villages and interesting small towns into the Yaida Valley, a semi-arid landscape dotted with baobabs. Here we spent a few days learning bush skills from the Hadza hunter gatherers. We made arrows (well, we tried), ate tuber roots and tasted some delicious honey fresh from the beehive. Every day brought a new amazing experience. If you want to go on an 'average' or 'normal' safari you can book with any of a number of companies, but if you want something out of the ordinary that will be totally unforgettable, go with Dorobo. But be warned: it's addictive!!
Written October 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin M
Madison, WI2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
We just got back to the US after two weeks with Dorobo.
It was funny for me to hear the questions I get from people about how I shaped our travel itinerary, because as I recall, I only two requests: (1) incorporate cultural learning opportunities with local peoples, and (2) a mixture of walking and game driving.
And that was it.
In hindsight, the itinerary that Dorobo built was genius! Easing in to the trip with two nights at Engare Serro Mountain Lodge was so smart.
Then a rotation of mobile camps with some walking and some driving followed by lodges where we could do washing and reorganize.
Wapping up in Serengeti was just the right capstone.
But the Manyara Ranch Maasai and Hadzabe days were the best.
Dorobo staff are the absolute best. They gave us absolute confidence from the first minutes we met. They were fun and encyclopedic not just on wildlife and ecoloigy, but all aspects of Tanzania culture, economics, politics and customs. They worked hard to take us off the beaten track and show us so many wonders. And we had unbelievably good luck as well. Those staff are so proud to be part of Dorobo and are true believers in the different approach Dorobo takes to immersive experiences for your clients.
The camp staff beame beloved among our family and their hospitality and food prep was something we looked forward to every day we were together with them.
At 15 years now, I know our daughter got more out of the experience than she would have 3 years ago when we originally planned to travel. Same for our 13 year old son. So the wait may have been fortuitous.
In short, we are grateful for the thought and attention to detail that you all put into our dream trip. I will proudly promote Dorobo in all of the talks I give about our trip and conversations I have with people who may have an interest in Tanzania as a travel destination.
We are on cloud nine and will be for some months to come.
Thank you Dorobo again and again.
Kevin McAleese & Tricia Wheeler
It was funny for me to hear the questions I get from people about how I shaped our travel itinerary, because as I recall, I only two requests: (1) incorporate cultural learning opportunities with local peoples, and (2) a mixture of walking and game driving.
And that was it.
In hindsight, the itinerary that Dorobo built was genius! Easing in to the trip with two nights at Engare Serro Mountain Lodge was so smart.
Then a rotation of mobile camps with some walking and some driving followed by lodges where we could do washing and reorganize.
Wapping up in Serengeti was just the right capstone.
But the Manyara Ranch Maasai and Hadzabe days were the best.
Dorobo staff are the absolute best. They gave us absolute confidence from the first minutes we met. They were fun and encyclopedic not just on wildlife and ecoloigy, but all aspects of Tanzania culture, economics, politics and customs. They worked hard to take us off the beaten track and show us so many wonders. And we had unbelievably good luck as well. Those staff are so proud to be part of Dorobo and are true believers in the different approach Dorobo takes to immersive experiences for your clients.
The camp staff beame beloved among our family and their hospitality and food prep was something we looked forward to every day we were together with them.
At 15 years now, I know our daughter got more out of the experience than she would have 3 years ago when we originally planned to travel. Same for our 13 year old son. So the wait may have been fortuitous.
In short, we are grateful for the thought and attention to detail that you all put into our dream trip. I will proudly promote Dorobo in all of the talks I give about our trip and conversations I have with people who may have an interest in Tanzania as a travel destination.
We are on cloud nine and will be for some months to come.
Thank you Dorobo again and again.
Kevin McAleese & Tricia Wheeler
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura S
Bath, ME3 contributions
Nov 2024 • Family
My husband and I just returned from a ten-day Serengeti safari with Dorobo Safari Company, and I highly recommend every aspect of our vacation, from the very ethically focused Dorobo company, to Dorobo’s commitment to customizing the trip to suit our needs, to Killerai, our guide, to the remote and personal experience of being in Tanzania and interacting with the people, wildlife and culture. Our trip involved a combination of off-grid jeep safari, trekking through the Serengeti, and interacting with people from a hunter-gatherer tribe in their own home and habitat. We stayed both in mobile tents and in local lodges. We expected to see wildlife, and, in this respect, we were not disappointed. We saw at least 20 lions, a leopard, a cheetah, families and herds of elephants, wildebeests, baboons, gazelles, impalas, and zebras, Topis, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, even a wildcat springing not far from our feet. One of the special things about Dorobo was its commitment to authentic experiences. Instead of observing wildlife from jeeps crowded together, we experienced them while we were alone, in the animals’ natural habitat. Our jeep got so close to lions eating a wildebeest, we smelled the freshly killed meat. We witnessed two wildebeests carefully assessing their safety before crossing a river and then being sprung upon by a crocodile hidden in rocks. (the wildebeest got away!) We saw a leopard, a wildcat, and lion during our safari walks. Dorobo Safaris has kept their customers since 1980. The guides are thoroughly trained. Our guide, Killerai, has Masai and Chagga ethnic heritage, and he has a keen gift for leading safely, for monitoring our health (neither my husband nor I lost a moment to traveler’s sicknesses) and also for spotting wildlife that may have otherwise been easily missed. He spotted a cheetah in the distance on a mound while he was driving in Central Serengeti. Many jeeps drove around us without noticing. The final days of our trip were spent with the Hadza, hunters and gatherers who have remained in Tanzania for over two thousand years and who continue to live a traditional existence with the support of the Dorobo Company. We were invited into their camp and their homes. We accompanied them in their daily life of collecting honey from trees, hunting, digging for tubers, and beadmaking. But more importantly, we had the opportunity to communicate and learn from them. Because Dorobo customizes trips, they interspersed our more rugged adventures with pampering in lodges. We stayed at the Serengeti River Camp in Northern Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Farmhouse, in the Ngorongoro region, and Kiota Nest in Arusha. All three stays were top-notch. The people were generous and welcomed us into their lives. The level of attention to satisfying us and making our stay memorable was unprecedented. Both at lodges and in mobile tents, our food was fresh, homemade, authentic, healthy, and delicious. The people we met in Tanzania were warm, kind and welcoming without a single exception. This has been the best vacation of our lives. We highly recommend a Serengeti experience with Dorobo Safaris.
Written November 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everyone in our group used a small - medium duffle or rugged suitcase, and a daypack. There were no specific requirements beyond the plane weight limits.
Written July 16, 2023
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