Zara Tanzania Adventures
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Go on safari with Zara Tours!
I spent six amazing days on a Tanzania safari in August 2023. I made the reservation through a European travel agency, Tour Compass, which in addition to customizing my trip according to my wishes, also reserved my flights between Helsinki and Kilimanjaro. I did quite a bit of shopping ahead of time, and found that as a single occupancy traveler, Tour Compass (Zara Tours) had very competitive rates, and I saved about 30-50% compared to other similar safari tours. I was met at the airport by a Zara Tours staff member and my driver/guide, Willy (Wilfred), and my two fellow travelers, a wonderful young couple from Wales, Beth and Lloyd. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Beth and Lloyd had a similar itinerary to mine and that we and Willy would be traveling together during the entire safari. First, a few words about the lodging. We spent our first two nights at Highview Hotel in Karatu. As suggested by the name, it is located on a hillside with what would have been a nice view had it not been so hazy (smoky). We received a warm welcome by the staff and were pampered throughout our stay. The meals were buffet style with plenty of choices and an amazing selection of fruits. The food was also quite good at all the other hotels and camps that I stayed at. Lunches were box lunches – plentiful but somewhat redundant, and may not fully satisfy somebody who is vegetarian/vegan, but it is possible that they would have accommodated a special diet upon request. The rooms at Highview Hotel were small, just barely big enough for two beds, and the shower had low water pressure. This was also true for the wild camps. Water is a precious commodity in these locations, so the low water pressure is understandable; I did not go on the safari to stay clean, but if a good shower is important to you, you may want to upgrade your lodging. The 3rd and 4th night we stayed at Ikoma Wild Camp. We had very big tents and enjoyed being “in the middle of nowhere”. Ikoma Wild Camp is outside of Serengeti National Park, but that does not mean that it is devoid of wildlife. We had several cape buffalo very close to the camp and a pride of about 12-15 lions within a short driving distance. The 5th and 6th night, I stayed in Ngorongoro Wild Camp, while Beth and Lloyd stayed back in Highview Hotel. I had upgraded my lodging after realizing that Ngorongoro Wild Camp is much closer to Ngorongoro crater than is Highview Hotel, so much less driving time was required to get to the crater. The Wild Camp had indeed a nice location (after a scenic drive along the crater rim) and we had several zebras and one giraffe right in the camp. After the safari, Beth and Lloyd flew to Zanzibar, while Willy drove me to Springlands Hotel in Moshi where I spent two nights visiting some friends. Springlands Hotel was quite nice with a nice pool, good shower, and lots of tasty food. It is mostly used as a base for those who climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The safari was much more amazing than I could have ever dreamed of. We went to Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro conservation area and Lake Manyara National Park. It was breathtaking to see elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, many species of antelope, hyenas, cape buffalo, hippos, etc. from such a close distance. This was made possible by our amazing driver/guide, Willy. He had a sixth sense for knowing where the animals would be and which way they would be going, so that he could position us in such a way that the animals were coming to us. Willy was knowledgeable about the geography, plants, and animals of the area, and I learned much from him. It was clear that Willy was giving us the best possible experience on our safari. For me, the safari was a dream come true and I highly recommend Willy and Zara Tours for your Tanzania dream safari.