Safari Sasa Tanzania Ltd — Local services in Arusha

My wife and I just returned from a 10 day safari in Tanzania. We visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. It was our first safari and, aside from a two day stay in Morocco, our first trip to Africa. Ibrahim David (“Abi”) and his wife, Deb, owners of Safari Sasa arranged the trip and guided us throughout our journey. We were three couples, one of whom had travelled with Abi and Deb many times; my wife and I, and the other couple were newbies. Abi and Deb (Safari Sasa) exceeded our already high expectations. Let me start off by saying that Abi loves his country and his culture. He greeted us everyday with an infectious smile and stories about his life and local culture. As you may know if you are considering a Safari, each day starts very early, particularly for people on vacation. Abi’s zeal and a good dose of coffee were the perfect pick me up when it would have been easy to sleep in and enjoy the comfortable beds and morning vistas at our various lodges. In regards to lodging, we generally stayed at semi-permanent “eco-lodges” in or quite close to the parks that we visited. By semi-permanent I mean framed huts that had canvas walls. They were all spacious with generally plush bedding, luxurious bathrooms and expansive views of the surroundings. Most had swimming pools and poolside refreshments which allowed us to refresh after our three to four hour safari sessions. Abi and Deb mixed in a few more permanent lodge/hotels – the Four Seasons Serengeti and Kitela Lodge in Karatu (my personal favorite). We moved around a lot as we wanted to see the different ecosystems – the Serengeti is dry and dusty and the epicenter of the Wildebeest migration, Karatu was high elevation and more tropical, Ngorongoro was a mix with an incredible array of species living together. We also were following the Wildebeest migration. Be prepared for lots of vehicle time; a good road in this part of Tanzania is reasonably flat gravel and dirt, a lesser road of which there are many will have ravines and obstacles that make for slow passage. And, of course there are animal populations everywhere, so expect lots of stop and go. We generally stayed in locations for one night in order to maximize our experience. When we do this again, I would favor more two night stays to get added relief from the drives. Abi and Deb handled any issues that arose, there were few really, to insure that we got the most of our experience. A few of us wanted to fly from Serengeti back to Arusha instead of driving six plus hours on the final day of our trip. Deb made the arrangements and remained involved afterward when the local carrier messed up the billing. I am pleased to say that everything was perfectly resolved within two days of returning home. So, I loved this trip. Of the parks, I particularly loved Ngorongoro and Serengeti. I felt that Tarangire was like an introduction to the wildlife and scenery of Tanzania; Ngorongoro and Serengeti were the “real” thing. The drive to both was long but an adventure and well worth the time we spent getting there. And finally, Abi and Deb were amazing. We began our journey with them as customers and guides; I would like to think that we ended...

Regarding Tanzania’s Safari Sasa!, my primary word is WOW! The company is owned and operated by Abi and Deb, both of whom are not only highly efficient in their roles but also supremely kind, interesting, and involved in their worlds—which they love to share with the rest of us. While Deb, working closely with me, handled our arrangements, Abi served as guide/driver/tracker. That man really knows the back roads of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater and conservation area, Ndutu, Tarangire and Manyara National Parks. Best of all, Abi loves what he does and shows that passion all day every day. He loves the wildlife and seeking it out; he can spot large and small animals and birds, knows them all by sight and call and will get you optimal sightings over and over again. And he devotes himself to introducing his clients to his country and its multiple cultures. I told him more than once that he has found the perfect profession, or it him. He is dedicated to his country’s cultures and wildlife and to those of us who travel with him into those wild places. I traveled with my family—adult children and grandchildren ages 10 and 14—and he was great with everyone. Not having been to Africa before, I trusted the arrangements to Deb, and she rose to the occasion: everything she put together--food, lodging, even two birthday celebrations--was perfect. I’d go with them again...

“OK, we’re scanning...” Our group of six spent two delightful days learning from Abi how to scan the horizon for animals we’d only ever seen before in zoos. We also learned that Abi’s more than two decades experience leading safaris in Tanzania has made him a scanner extraordinaire. He has an uncanny ability to spot distant animals then bring his Safari Sasa Land Cruiser in for a close-up view. After outings to the Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Abi took us into the bush to see the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, the last real hunter-gatherers in East Africa. In addition to helping us customize our trip, the lodges that Deb arranged for us to stay in were great – perfect for relaxing in between ventures. Abi and Deb's enthusiastic approach to life and adventure is infectious; we left with great new friends as well as memories. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience for us, which we’d be...