Once in a lifetime! At the beginning of December, we decided to take this trip in combination with Zanzibar. Despite the short preparation time, the tour operator took care of everything down to the last detail. Upon arrival, we had arranged our own flights, and at Kilimanjaro Airport, our taxi driver arrived. We withdrew cash there, as there were no facilities for this during the safari. After arriving at the lodge in Arusha, we were able to quickly check into our room. Food was included and well-prepared. The same menu for lunch and dinner, but plenty of choice. That same afternoon, we received a short briefing from an Arusha Trips employee and also met our guide, who accompanied us on the safari. The next morning, Meshak, our guide, picked us up early to drive to Lake Manyara, a nature park known for its many elephants. We saw several animals. At the end of the afternoon, we were dropped off at our lodge in Karatu, a beautiful location with a large garden, swimming pool, and spacious cottages. Food was included here as well. A wide selection and a hearty breakfast. The next morning, we were on the road again early to drive to Ngorongoro. After completing the necessary paperwork, which the guide arranged, we drove into the area (which is the size of France). After some kilometers through Maasai territory, we arrived in the Serengiti. It was wonderful to have a Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof all to ourselves, giving us plenty of space to take photos and spot animals. The car also contained a mobile phone with the rangers' and other vehicles' channels, a cooler, and fresh water. We saw numerous herds of wildebeest, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, elephants, waterbuck, and buffalo. Late in the afternoon, we were dropped off at our lodge where we stayed for two nights. A large tent with a toilet and shower was very welcome after a day of gathering dust, despite the cold water. We ate together in a large tent with a buffet. Everything was delicious. We got up early every morning for breakfast, packed our lunch, and then set off early to spot more animals. The second lodge, where we spent two nights, was located more in Maasai territory and was also well-maintained, with good food and a large tent on stilts (very convenient if hyenas come by at night). The second day, we went on a two-hour walk with a ranger, spotted elephants again, and ended up among nine giraffes. On the last day, we descended by car into the Ngorongoro Crater, a nature reserve 20 kilometers across and home to rhinos and hippos. We finally saw the Big 5. After saying goodbye to Meshak, we stayed another night at the Outpost Lodge in Arusha. The next morning, we were picked up by taxi on time for a short ride to Arusha Airport for our flight to Zanzibar. Everything was perfectly arranged and on time, so we arrived... We arrived at Zanzibar, where the taxi was already waiting to take us to Jambiani in 1.5 hours. Upon arrival, we were allowed to spend the first night in the honeymoon room; our cottage for the rest of the holiday wasn't available yet (we knew this in advance). We spent a wonderful 6 days at this small resort on the beach. Finally, I would like to thank everyone at Arusha Trips for the fantastic trip, and especially our guide, Meshak.

(Translated by Google, see original)

Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Beaches I organized a Tanzanian safari through Arusha Trips. Both Marjolein, Lex, and Terry were very responsive to emails and organized the Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar excursions, lodging, and transportation within our budget. They gave us lodging options with pictures and descriptions of each excursion for us to choose from. They also provided thorough information packages to ensure we had all the information we needed for travel. Communication with Arusha Trips was also very responsive during the trip itself which added a sense of reliability to the experience when traveling in a foreign country.By far the best part of our trip was Titho, our safari guide. At the start of our journey, he set the bar for both professionalism and hospitality. Immediately, we knew we were in good hands and we had so much fun! Titho also helped us learn some Swahili. We would practice small conversations during the drive and Titho would test us when we least expected it. We saw up close monkeys, baboons, giraffes, elephants, and lions. If you are planning a trip to Tanzania - ask for Titho! You will be so glad you did. Both the food and service at each location were above expectations! Also, the national parks did not disappoint!!! We had some amazing animal experiences that we will never forget. Highly recommend Arusha Trips!