Safari-- Kiboko Safaris - Arusha - TravBuddy

My group traveled on safari with Kiboko (Swahili for hippo) Safaris. They were an excellent company. Very professional and friendly. We loved our drivers and the owners joined us regularly to make sure our expectations were being met and to give us personalized attention. I highly recommend them if you're intending to do a safari whilst in Tanzania.

Their safari prices are basically average, but slightly higher than some (based on what I've seen), though a very good value for what you are getting. They offer pre-planned safari itinerary as well as a custom experience. The company is owned by a couple-- John and Trena, a Tanzanian man, who has been in the safari business for quite a number of years and an American woman. Many (if not all) of their drivers have completed safari tour school and have hawk eyes. They saw things while trying to navigate the sub-par roads of the planes that we couldn't see, even with our binoculars.

We began our experience with Kiboku Safaris at the airport in Arusha, the safari circuit hub in North TZ. The owners and our two drivers Jephter and Leonard met us at the airport and transfered us to Ilboro Safari lodge for an over-night stay, which is a pretty nice lodge just outside the main part of town.

The next morning we embarked on our safari expedition beginning in the Serengeti. Tanzanian traffic and roads going to and in the parks are much of what you would expect-- poor and our drivers handled them marvelously. When we began the tour we often feared for our lives because of the hazardous conditions as well as the other drivers-- what many westerners would consider crazy, but after spending a couple of days in the capable hands of Jephter and Leonard, our fears were put to ease and we really enjoyed their wit and great knowledge of their work.

Included in our safari price (which I'm not sure the exact price as we 1) went in a large group-- 11 of us total and 2) the price I paid was all-inclusive for airfare to/from Memphis, TN int'l airport, local airfare and transportation, a few nights stay in Bagamoyo on the mainland, another few nights on Zanzibar and the safari), was lodging/food-- we stayed at nice lodges and one "luxury camp", bottled water whilst traveling, boxed lunches whilst in parks, and entrance fees to the parks.

Our safari also took us to Olduvai Gorge, a "pretend" Masai tribe in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. Also included, free of charge, were a flat tire and getting stuck climbing up to crater rim at Ngorongoro! ;) John and Trena also arranged for a special visit for us to Oldeani-- near Arusha, where John originates from to see a local church and school as well, we met his family. That was a nice treat. They (John and Trena) have sponsored the school and help to support it whenever they can, which I think is fantastic.

All of the safari vehicles are Toyota 4WD trucks with a lifting roof. They're quite comfortable for up to six people (including driver-- which I think may be their max for any one truck). The trucks handle the terrain well and I even managed to fall asleep a couple of times while we were traveling to the different parks-- quite a feat for me as I'm a light sleeper! They equip their trucks with binoculars and wildlife field guidebooks which, if you ask nicely, your driver will probably let you borrow for a peek. There was plenty of room for all of our luggage-- which in itself is a feat as we packed rather heavily for our 2+ week holiday.

The drivers, especially Jephter (as it was in his truck that I traveled in), were fantastic; I can not sing their praises enough. They were personable, accommodating and highly knowledgeable about all aspects of their job-- from driving to the wildlife we were on safari to see. They went out of their way to make our experience one which I will never forget. Jephter realized early on how important it was for me to get "the shot", so he was sure to give me as much time as possible when we were traveling through and to the parks to ensure I was able to do this whenever possible. I think I even almost had him convinced to let me drive-- almost. ;(

I absolutely left my heart in Africa and intend to go back to Tanzania as soon as possible, with my husband and will be contracting with this company again. Couldn't be more satisfied (expect maybe if they'd let me drive) with this company.

It's definitely not a cheap way to tour the mainland, but if you're not expecting to travel on a shoestring budget, it's rather affordable and well worth the added expense to hire a reputable company to tour with.