Unique Safaris

Unique Safaris

Unique Safaris
5

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.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles107 reviews
Excellent
104
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
2

Charlie
55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
Having done over 10 photo tours, the last three have been with Unique Safaris in Tanzania. We come up with an idea of what we want to do and see and Meg Katzman, Uniques's Director of Sales and Marketing in the US, develops an itinerary to fit our requests. She also provides us a price for 2, 3, or 4 participants depending on our possible traveling companions. From the time we arrive at the airport in Arusha to the time we leave for home, everything is taken care of. Our guides have been exceptional especially, Pokea, out latest Guide. The guides communicate with each other helping to locate any species you may be looking for, and they are always on the lookout for big cat interactions. Why pay extra for a separate birding or photography guide when Unique’s guides/drivers can do both? In addition, Unique is affiliated with several lodges which helps to constrain costs. All in all we would say Unique Safaris is truly unique.
Written October 31, 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.
We love hosting you!!! When the Serengeti "grabs" you it just does not let go. Thank you for your kind words and repeat business over the years. We always look forward to seeing you again.
Written November 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Penny L
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
Where to begin? The whole trip more than met our expectations.

The Unique Safaris itinerary couldn't have been better planned and suited for our needs. As older folks this suited us very well, not too long or too short. Each location was unique enough that we felt we were having a different experience at each location. The staff at each location treated us like royalty and went out of their way to serve us well.

Roman, our guide, was a great fit for our group. Thank you. Very engaging and obviously knew what he was talking about on all sorts of topics. We appreciated his knowledge on all things related to the natural world as well as Africa. He didn't treat us like novices but people who wanted to learn. I would highly recommend him as a guide and plan on doing so to friends along with recommending Unique Safari and you in the future.

Roman went out of his way to find us animals away from the crowds. Seeing animals doing their thing, not just checking them off a list was important for us. Getting up early definitely helped. We were able to see animals in acts of behavior that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. We saw wildebeest calving, Kori bustard males squaring off and fighting for territory, a zebra that had just been born wrapped in it's amniotic sac, a dik dik in the mouth of a cheetah just after a recent kill, a leopard at close range because of Roman's positioning of the Land Cruiser in just the right spot.

Truly an amazing adventure! Thanks again for making it so special for us.
Written February 8, 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.
Penny and everyone- we are so happy we planned this just right! That is the beauty and benefit of traveling with a company that specializes in private custom-designed itineraries. The "boys" checked off their bucket list to climb Kilimanjaro and all of you spent wonderful time together enjoying the almost indescribable beauty of the Serengeti. It was our pleasure to work with you and any referrals are very appreciated!
Written February 26, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Peter
Saint Paul, MN10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Traveled with a group of nine, including for adults, kids ranging in age 10 to 16. We visited Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorogoro. Although we approach this trip with high expectations, we were amazed, and the entire trip was even better than we had hoped. Completely blown away by the outstanding guides - there were times, when other guides asked our guides for help as they were lost, or had not even heard of some of the animals we saw. We clearly had the “A” team!

Unique Safaris did a fantastic job with planning, preparation, arranging accommodations, and attention to detail. We felt very safe and supported, and I have already recommended them as an organization to several friends and coworkers, who were amazed at our description of our trip and the incredible photos.

When you were considering taking a Safari, you are setting yourself up for a once in a lifetime experience and you don’t want to take a chance or be disappointed. I would travel with Unique Safaris again in a heartbeat, and can’t recommend them strongly enough.
Written July 22, 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.
Your families were so delightful to work with and host in Tanzania. I am glad that the standard we planned for you even exceeded your expectations! We love the family safaris and sharing our country with young children is a special thrill. Thank you very much for also making referrals to your friends and co-workers; this means the world to us. Perhaps someday you will return with three generations for another safari!
Written September 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Linda C
32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
We are very glad that we chose Unique Safaris for our 7 day safari to Ngorongoro Crater, Central and Northern Serengeti. Our guide, Ellison, was wonderful. He did a fantastic job guiding us through the landscape, finding the "Big 5" and helping us to see the wildlife "in action". We would start each day at 6am, often ending at 6pm, since the animals are most active early in the morning or late in the afternoon. He was very knowledgeable, a great communicator and a true friend to the animals. He drove through the tough terrain with relative ease and made us always feel safe. Lynn and Meg were very helpful in the planning stages, sending many information sheets with packing tips, visa info and key things to know before going on safari. I was a little leary when the payment needed to be made via wire transfer (or Zelle). I prefer to work with companies that accept credit cards. However, everything went smoothly and the itinerary was extremely reliable. The trip was amazing and I credit Ellison, Lynn and Meg with making it so great!
Written August 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.
First congratulations on your successful summit! And thank you for your wonderful comments about Unique Safaris. I especially appreciate that you mentioned your caution about our payment process and how everything went exactly as we communicated regarding payments! We are so pleased that your "reward" after the climb fulfilled all your expectations
Written September 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karen P
Grand Forks, ND22 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
WE DID NOT ACTUALLY USE THEIR SERVICES: we reached out and tried to book a couple of days photo tour with Unique Safaris and almost immediately received a phone call. The agent asked for my itinerary with another company that we were working with and after receiving it picked apart item after item. She criticized and pointed out all the faults and flaws and extensively put down the other company. She was very high pressure and in the end, because we wouldn't spend enough (almost $6,000 for 2 days, 3 nights) she informed me they couldn't help me because they don't do day tours--we were discussing overnight so she had to know that we were flexible that way. I explained we were on a budget and she responded with an arbitrary price of a lodge in Botswana that was almost $5,000 a night which had nothing to do with anything. It was pretty obvious from our second conversation that this company wasn't someone we wanted to work with. Now I will qualify this review with the fact that it might be this agent and not the company! My main reason for writing this review is how much she bad-mouthed the other company.
Written June 16, 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.
As the Director of Sales and Marketing I have reviewed all of the email communications between you and my sales specialist. You are certainly entitled to your opinion but I must push back on your statement since it does not fully and accurately portray the emails that went back and forth. Since your most serious concern was the conversation about another company I see nothing at all in your emails that indicate she spoke negatively about your tour operator. In fact we know not only the company that you booked through but also the local tour operator who handles their Tanzania business and we have nothing but respect for the company you are traveling with. I am sure you will have a wonderful safari. Unique Safaris does not conduct day trips and our reputation and expertise is in the bush with our fabulous guides and knowledge of all the remote areas of the national parks to maximize your photography. The only reason I asked my colleague to try to work something out with you was because you were referred from one of our excellent agents in the US but learned that our agent did not work with you previously and just thought you might benefit from speaking with a Tanzania exclusive expert . As a courtesy to that company we considered your request but we do need to know your itinerary and budget to see what you might want to supplement it and the costs we should aim for. We never work without receiving a budget range from any prospective client. There are so many options and possibilities that knowing the range want to work within is critical and also helps to determine if we are the right company for you. In this case we designed a 3-day/2-night extension to an area we thought you might not be visiting. I am so sorry your interactions left you feeling this way and gave an impression contrary to our company values. I am happy to speak with you in person on the phone if you would like to raise any other points. Have a wonderful safari in Tanzania and hoping you will want to return many times.
Written June 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

allanwolford
New Braunfels, TX9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
My wife and I just returned from our safari in the Serengeti with Unique Safaris. Ally, our guide, was fantastic in locating animals and birds during our trip. He was able to drive to locations that other guides would NOT attempt due to it being the wet season and some of the roads (basically dirt tracks through the Serengeti) were covered with water and had terrible holes that you could not see until you hit them. The difference with Unique is they use Mud Terrain tires not All Terrain tires like the other safari companies. Other companies stay on the main roads so you see the animals 100 yards away with 15 vehicles parked on the road while we were able to go to more isolated areas and get up close to the animals. Up close being lunch with a large price of lions and 5 lion brothers s walking by our vehicle and hitting it with their tails. We were able to see everything that we had on our wish list as well as gain a better appreciation for the birds in the Serengeti.

We stayed in tents while we were there so the animals were VERY close. The animals can get noisy at night so be prepared to wake up occasionally. One morning we woke up to the sounds of 8 lions taking down a wildebeest about 50 yards from our tent. Our guide had to pick us up for breakfast that morning in our vehicle since the lions were so close. When you stay in the tents you will need someone from the camp to walk with you when it is dark. Also as a treat Ally arranged for us to meet with a Project Cheetah expert researcher who gave us a much better insight into the amazing animal.

We are recommending Unique to all our friends interested in going to Tanzania. With close to 400 competitors in the Arusha area it was very easy to see the difference with Unique Safaris when you are on safari. Our guide was well prepared everyday with the vehicle cleaned from the previous day and stocked with Diet Coke. Other companies were going through the motions of moving you around in areas with more traffic but we were taken off the main roads to areas with more animals and less of the "tourist" traffic.

I usually do not write reviews but the difference in companies is significant. If you want to see a few animals with the crowds then Unique is not for you. If you do not mind getting bounced around in the vehicle to get to isolated areas and truly experience the Serengeti then Unique is your best option.

Meg did a good job working with us to get within our budget. I would recommend working with her to get within your budget rather than settling for a less expensive nondescript safari.

This was truly an exceptional once in a lifetime experience and Unique Safaris made all the difference. We also met the owner while on safari, and Ali was engaging and made us feel very welcome.
Written January 26, 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.
Wow, thank you for a fabulous review. You captured our essence in your own words and that is worth a million dollars to us! January has been really wet and in fact we have an unusually wet Nov, Dec and Jan so while the wildlife is fantastic and the park is lush, green and healthy, it is a challenge to drive through this very large park. Thank you for appreciating the differences with our company. "If it is Unique, the difference is clear"
Written January 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Beth C
Minneapolis, MN18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Friends
I can't say enough good things about Unique Safaris! Meg sent us instructions on how to get visas, what to pack, and how to prepare for the trip. We appreciated she accommodated some additional experiences we were looking for in addition to the Safari. The itinerary was detailed and very helpful.

Benard, our guide, was awesome! He was dependable, fun, flexible, great at spotting wildlife and we would recommend him highly. Esther, whom met us at the airport and when we returned to Arusha was terrific at customer service, wanting to learn what we liked best and least on the trip, and just provided a fun experience. The vehicle we traveled in was always clean and was comfortable.

The accommodations were unforgettable as were some of the experiences such as breakfast in the bush, visits to some villages, and the number of animals we were able to spot. The food was also quite good in the lodges as were the bush lunches.

I highly recommend Unique Safaris and would definitely use them again.
Written March 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.
Thank you so much Beth and Friends! Sorry it took me awhile to respond to your review but I had some challenges with my computer. Bernard loved your company too and we are thrilled the safari was everything you hoped for and then some!
Written May 5, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kathy L
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Family
My family and I booked with Unique Safaris after cancelling a trip in 2014. To be honest I was worried about the expense in 2023, after day one we realized the trip was going to be amazing. My daughter and son are 26 and 24 respectively, we wanted a wildlife safari focused on big cats. Meg arranged our itinerary and it was perfect. Out guide Roman was a great fit for us, he has a biology background and my daughter is a wildlife biologist.
Everything Unique Safari promised, they delivered. We were taken care of from the moment we landed at Kilimanjaro airport. The accommodations were excellent, they were a surprise to us, much nicer and unique than we anticipated. This ended up being a trip of a lifetime and I would not hesitate for a second to recommend Unique Safari. I had been in Kenya and South Africa 30 years ago and I saw more wildlife in 10 days than I saw in 6 weeks back then. If you are thinking of a trip to Africa, do it! You won't regret it, and book it with Unique Safari.
Written October 30, 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.
Thank you!!! We wanted this to be so special for you since you have waited almost 9 years to actually get to Tanzania. We so appreciate your comments and am thrilled this exceeded your expectations.
Written November 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Linda L
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We, along with 4 of our friends, recently returned from an amazing trip to Tanzania with Unique Safaris. ALL of the staff were friendly, helpful and accommodating. Meg was wonderful helping us prepare for our trip and willing to answer every question that we had, so we went into the trip with confidence. She also helped family members arrange special surprise events for 2 members of our group. We travelled through Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Ben was one of the most competent guides that we have ever had in all our years of travelling. He quickly assessed what our group wanted and worked very hard to make our trip memorable. And Ben was patient with the variety of questions asked about the animals, culture, history and much more; his knowledge was extensive. The accommodations were perfect. When we show our friends the photos, they are so jealous!
Written October 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.
It is amazing how long we plan and then the safari goes too quickly. The two birthday celebrations went off so well; I am very happy about that. We will always welcome you back to Tanzania!
Written November 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cowanderlust11
rome34 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
Before you get taken in by some of the dazzling photos posted by other reviewers of this company, think about how they got them!!! This company, or at least the guides we were subjected to, were terribly unethical and harassing the animals. In the attempt to get clients in "close to the animals" (as another reviewer put it) they would drive so close to the animals, with no regard for the animal's welfare or needs. Two specific experiences come to mind.

First, where a male leopard had dragged a kill into the tree and was sleeping on another branch in the Seronera (Serengeti). Rather than give him space, the guides drove their vehicles immediately under him (off road, blocking the view of other vehicles watching from the road 10m away). The leopard became visibly agitated at the intrusion- pinning his ears, shifting often, turning his face away from their lenses- but the guides persisted to get their clients the "perfect' shot. The leopard was so bothered by their noise and commotion only a few feet below him, that he jumped down from the tree and attempted to depart through a shallow, dry water way covered with brush. Instead of letting him go, they drove their vehicles into the brush and shallow wash to block his escape. He hid himself deep in the brush. Through their actions, they ruined the sighting for all present and caused an animal just trying to rest to leave his meal.

Second, there was a mother cheetah and her two younger cubs. They were walking perpendicular to the road and moving away from the road into territory that was not accessible by road. Two of the guides drove off road to them, and kept driving a bit ahead of her and cutting in front. When she was clearly agitated that she couldn't keep on towards the direction she had in mind, why did they keep doing it?? Because the clients wanted photos of the cheetahs' faces and they couldn't bear to just let the family be and drive alongside from a short distance!

The guides need to respect the wildlife they depend on for their livelihoods, and clients should understand that the animals need rest, respect, and space! Terrible, heartbreaking behavior that shouldn't be rewarded with more business.
Written December 2, 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.
Your comments are 100% untrue and you should reveal that you are a competitor and not a client of Unique Safaris. We will be contacting the Serengeti Park Warden and Trip Advisor for unethically posting a review just to shade a competitor. Unique Safaris has an outstanding reputation in the bush and has been operating for 32 years. If you have a complaint and PROOF of Unique Safaris violating any rules of any park, please speak with TANAPA and the Park Wardens directly and they will initiate a full investigation. This is how business is conducted in Tanzania; through the proper channels so an investigation can take place; not on a social media platform to create doubt about a competitor. Unique Safaris welcomes any investigation as we will be proven to be deserving of our outstanding reputation. We will not discuss this further on Trip Advisor except to inform our previous, current and future guests that your comments are untrue and unproven. If you have concerns as a competitor please follow up with the proper channels so it can be addressed by the proper authorities. It is interesting that all of our trip advisor reviews are outstanding except for two who rate us as terrible. Both of those reviews were from competitors and not from clients. Our clients have extremely high standards for following the park rules; we host many professional photographers, naturalist and biologists who would never tolerate harassment of any kind. So you are also insulting our own clients by implying they care only about photos and not about the safety and sustainability of wildlife in Tanzania.
Written February 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 106
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

Unique Safaris - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

All Arusha HotelsArusha Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Arusha
All things to do in Arusha
Day Trips in Arusha
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars