Joagro Safaris Tanzania — Local services in Arusha

We spoke with many different companies for a Safari in Tanzania before we decided that Joagro Safari was the one for us for a mid-range package. Jonas, who runs the company, customised our itinerary to suit us and the number of days we had in Tanzania. We were assigned Anwar as our driver, who picked us up from the airport. We went to the Joagro Safari office in Arusha and met Jonas and the team before we started our safari. They were very polite and helpful.

Our first day was in Tarangire, and then we had two and a half days in Serengeti National Park. One and half days in Ngorongoro and our final day were at Arusha National Park. All are a must-see as we seen the big 5 by the end of our trip and many more animals. Load of lions, by the way, in all the parks except for Arusha National Park. The walking safari was brilliant, which we done in Arusha National Park, from which you can see the peak of Kilimanjaro, depending on the weather. Even when you don't see animals, the different landscapes are so beautiful that you forget about the animals.

Our overnight stays were at Marera Valley Lodge, Serengeti Wild Camp (2 nights), Ngorongoro Wild Camp, and Tulia Boutique Hotel & Spa. Very clean rooms, with toiletries provided in all. The food was nice also. Generally, you get served rice, chicken curry, noodles, roast potatoes, and vegetable curry along with other things, depending on which camp. For breakfast, you would have scrambled eggs, cereal, teas, and coffee along with other things depending on the camp. All the food in all camps was halal. The best stay, though, was at Ngorongoro Wild Camp. Amazing rooms. Elevated tents. Rooms were in immaculate condition. Also, you will have visitors such as giraffes and zebras right outside your tent balconies. Service was 10/10. All the above camps have WIFI in the reception area and dining area. Some even have WIFI in the rooms and tents. We went from the 19th of June 2024 until 26th of June 2024.

A special mention to our driver, Anwar. He was brilliant the whole way through. Understanding, patient, relaxed, fun, kind-hearted person who made our trip one to remember. He went above and beyond to ensure we had seen all the animals we wanted and all our needs were met. He took us shopping in Arusha on our final day. You will absolutely love having Anwar as your driver.

Lastly, a shout out to the boss, Jonas. At the end of our trip, he came to us at the shopping centre in Arusha to meet us before we flew back to England. He is doing a fantastic job with the setup he has, his office staff, his drivers, his equipment, i.e., the jeeps. Keep up the good work.

Thank you for everything and for making this one of the best experiences of my life. I will be back, and next time we climb the...

We had a very negative experience on our 3-days Serengeti-Ngorongoro Safari with Joagro. Here are the facts, why we think it was a negative experience and why you should find another Tour Operator for your Safari: We specifically asked for binoculars 1 week before the Safari and it was confirmed that shared binoculars would be provided. Before leaving from Arusha we reminded the guide about the binoculars, he said "yes maybe I will take them". We did not had any binocular provided by the guide during the whole Safari. We specifically wanted to see the Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti and went to Joagro with that idea. Joagro told us we would go to see the wildebeest migration, but we did not see anything of the migration, because the package actually just included a very basic 3 days Safari without the possibility to make any specific requests. We were told that we leave Arusha 6 am sharp and actually left at almost 7 am. It took us 10 hours from Arusha to the entrance of Serengeti, because of different delays and simply horrible organisation, differently from what stated in the offer (4-5 hours). We slept in a different Campsite inside Serengeti then the one stated in the offer. The offer stated that the second day we would be in Serengeti from "Early morning until late evening". Instead, we stayed in Serengeti just until early afternoon 3 pm, without seeing the sunset. The delay of the first day for arriving to Serengeti entrance and the early leaving on the second day, are because the Serengeti entrance is for 24 hours and by arriving late and leaving early the entrance is just paid once by the operator, instead of twice like the offer stated. This way, the tour operator makes +60 USD profit for each scammed client in the car. There were 7 people inside the car instead of 6 as stated in the offer. Our guide was unbelievably disappointing. He was unprofessional, unmotivated, lying and provided no specific knowledge about animals or the parks. Guide that was giving only ridiculously basic information Since the first hours we noticed that the vehicle seemed to have some kind of problem and the battery was always low. This lead to the situation of the whole group being stuck close to a group of lions with the vehicle not starting. The guide made 2 of us step outside the vehicle in order to push it to start the engine. The offer stated that there will be 2 litres of water for each person in the car. In fact, the guide provided less then that and furthermore, he bought 0.5 l plastic bottles that is the worse thing you can do from a sustainability point of view. Only after complaints he...

There were several issues that affected our overall experience.

Language and Misinformation: Our guide struggled with English communication, which hindered our understanding of the wildlife and surroundings. Unfortunately, he resorted to inventing information, leading to misinformation during the tour. We expected accurate and informative explanations but received only basic phrases like “Look at the lions” and “Elephants over there.”

-Punctuality and Preparedness: On the first day of the safari, our guide was 40 minutes late, and then an additional 30 minutes were spent on food preparation. It would have been more efficient if everything had been ready in advance.

Time Spent in Ngorongoro Park: We felt disappointed by the limited time spent in Ngorongoro Park. After lunch, our guide took us back to the hotel, claiming the park was small. However, we missed out on seeing rhinos and other wildlife. We expected a more comprehensive experience.

Late Airport Transfer: On the last day, our guide was supposed to pick us up from the hotel at 6:50 AM for our flight. Unfortunately, he arrived at 7:25 AM, causing anxiety about missing our flight.

-Discrepancies in Beverage Offerings: The safari plan indicated that we would have water, beer, and wine during the safari. However, we received only water, Coca-Cola, and apple juice.

Dinner Inclusion and Water Charges: The plan stated that lunch and dinner were included. However, during dinner, we were surprised to be charged for water. Clear communication about additional costs would have been...