Authentic Tanzania Safaris — Local services in Dar es-Salaam

I was a little skeptical when I saw that all reviewers gave Authentic Tanzania 5 stars. Well, there is a reason for that. If TripAdvisor had the option for 10, I would give them 10 stars. I went with Authentic Tanzania because they were organizing a photo safari workshop with Paul Joynson-Hicks to Mikumi and Ruaha. This has to be the best investment I have made in a long time. Not only was this the most incredible safari I have been on (and I have been on others in 3 African countries) in terms of seeing magnificent animals in the wild, it was just down right fun. We drove from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi the first day and that in itself was such a treat. It was great to see the country side, the landscape, and the villages along the way. After a quick rest in camp, we headed to the park and right away, Sven found the lions -- male and female. We were 4 budding photographers, Paul (the instructor) and Sven (the guide/owner of Authentic Tanzania). The best part of going with Sven and Paul was that we didn't rush. It wasn't about how many different animals we could see (even though we saw an incredible number), it was about watching, observing, and learning how to photograph these amazing creatures in the wild. Next day, we headed to Ruaha and it was even more magical from then on. We learned so much about animals and their behavior from Sven and it was amazing how he could find even the most concealed creatures. That first evening, he found more lions and we had a great time watching them as they lay around with their full stomachs and their switching tails. Sven then found our first leopard up in a sausage tree. Now how rare is that? I had never seen a leopard in the wild before and it was spectacular. She sat up there and just watched us too. Every day just brought more and more wonder. Sven found two cheetahs that had just made an impala kill. We were able to watch from about 15 – 20 feet away while they caught their breath and then started ripping their warm lunch apart. We saw the usual cast of characters -- elephants, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, monkeys, baboons, jackals, wart hogs, hippos, kudu, impala, ostrich, birds, and so on – with plenty of time to watch the animal antics and get great photography lessons from Paul. Every day we saw different prides of lions, even the “lazy” pride that didn’t know how to work together as a team to feed themselves (their bony ribs were evident). Then Sven found another female leopard up in a tree where she had dragged the hind quarters of her impala kill. We waited and watched this magnificent creature. Then she was upright, twitching her whole body, staring across the dry river bed. Off she headed to the male on the opposite bank. She did her mating dance, wagging her backside in his face, but alas, he was not having any of it while we were watching. They slithered down in a big hole on the other side of the bank then emerged a few minutes later-- parting and going their separate ways. We will never know. Did I mention how great the very private camp was? Not only was it located in a prime spot next to the dry river bank, the accommodations were great – great food, comfy bed, hot bush showers, great campfire discussions, great staff, and so on. But for me, one of the big highlights of the camp was waking up in the morning to the symphony -- the spectacular harmony of the call and response of waking birds was like an auditory feast. Speaking of feast, in the evenings after a wonderful dinner, we reviewed our photos and learned so much about our cameras, composition, lighting, focus, panning, developing, night photography, and even light writing at night. Paul is not only an incredible photographer but a great teach who is willing to share some of his best kept secret tips. I would highly recommend going on safari with Authentic Tanzania, it is definitely one of the best investments in fun and learning that I have ever made. Can’t wait to go again!! Thanks...

We chose Authentic Tanzania because of their custom private itineraries, including a seasonal camp in Ruaha National Park. The Ruaha camp was everything we'd imagined: just our group, surrounded by wildlife, and very comfortable. Our guide Rashid met us at the Iringa airport with a safari truck, and organized everything perfectly throughout our two week trip to Ruaha, Udzungwa, and Nyerere National Parks. He knew all about the wildlife, birds, and landscapes we drove through. In the parks, he tirelessy navigated a maze of unmarked tracks, gathered info from other guides about animals, and arranged for private walking, boating, and hiking guides . He even noticed details like how much my son enjoyed pancakes for dessert, and asked the cook to make them for breakfast the next day. Each day was incredible and unique, and I'd definitely recommend...

This is a very, very good safari company. We have just spent an amazing 8 days on safari with them. They do camping safaris in Tanzania, from basic to luxury, but all away from the crowds, so you really feel like you are part of the wildlife. Tracking lion footprints near your camp is a must-do experience! Sven is a very experienced guide and runs the bush side of the operation, his wife Emily runs a very efficient office. If you want a different safari experience away from the crowds but close to the animals, I strongly suggest you give...