Kenya and Tanzania Safaris with Zanzibar Vacation

Our travel company planned what can only be described as the adventure of a lifetime for us.

This trip was especially meaningful because we were celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary, and from beginning to end, everything felt incredibly well thought out. We started in the Seychelles, where we had a few days to unwind before heading to Tanzania for an unforgettable safari through Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Northern Serengeti.

The safari was beyond anything we could have imagined. We saw elephants, lions, zebras, cheetahs, and both white and black rhinos, along with so much other incredible wildlife. Every location felt different, every camp was special in its own way, and the entire experience flowed seamlessly from one place to the next.

We finished our trip in Zanzibar, first exploring Stone Town and then spending our final days on the beautiful white-sand beaches. One of our favorite surprises came at the very end, when the team arranged an anniversary dinner for us through our hotel. After such an incredible journey, it was such a thoughtful and meaningful way to celebrate our anniversary and finish the trip.

A special thank you to Zicasso's travel specialist, who worked closely with us to make sure the trip was exactly what we wanted. She even checked in with us while we were on safari to make sure everything was going well, which says a lot about the level of care they put into their trips. We also want to thank the team for coordinating all of the logistics beforehand and making sure every reservation, transfer, and detail was taken care of before we left.

Planning a trip like this across multiple countries, safari camps, flights, transfers, and hotels could easily have felt overwhelming. Instead, we were able to simply enjoy the experience because our travel company had taken care of everything.

Ten years from now, we will still be talking about this trip. We cannot recommend our travel company highly enough, and we would absolutely work with them again for another African adventure.

Zicasso's travel agents planned every small and big detail of our trip to Nairobi, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. They suggested a perfect time. Because of this, we were able to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, including the Mara River crossing. The guides were very knowledgeable. The pick-up and drop-off service from airports at each place was excellent. Our overall trip was great!

Zicasso's travel company did a great job with all the details. Every pick-up ride was waiting, small planes were as scheduled, and camps and lodges were expecting us. Our private guide was amazing. Camps were fantastic, with wonderful staff who became family.

Our lodge at Ngorongoro Crater was a nice change from camps at the end of the week. A key to the intelligent schedule was to send us to West Serengeti first. We caught the migration in its full glory. Most safari travelers we met did it in reverse, starting at Ngorongoro, and may have missed much of the migration. As a “lucky” bonus, white rhinos were introduced at Ngorongoro two days before we got there and we got to observe the interesting reaction of the existing black rhinos to these larger relatives. We saw every common animal species that exists in the Serengeti. That included 85 different lions and 13 different cheetahs.

This trip exceeded all our expectations and the direction and oversight by the travel company was spot-on. I can recommend this tour operator without any reservation.

Zicasso’s travel company created an amazing trip! Travel was fortunately seamless, and our travel company’s meet-and-greet partners were very helpful, especially in Rwanda when getting the visa and handling the luggage. Their travel advice prior to travel was invaluable, and they provided an app, which was extremely handy throughout the trip, even though we had a hard copy on hand if needed.

Kudos for arranging incredible accommodations. Our hotel in Nairobi was lovely, and the staff friendly and very helpful. We had a cold, cloudy day during our one day in Nairobi, so we were not able to fully enjoy the hotel’s outdoor space. One regret was not allowing one more day to enjoy the hotel.

Our first camp, although a bit of a drive, was worth every minute of time it took to get there. The tents were well appointed and comfortable. We had an amazing guide. The walking safari was such an amazing experience from the typical safari drive, as we were a part of the tracking experience. The walk was also invigorating from a physical and visual perspective. And the nighttime safari drive enabled us to see very different animal life and enjoy stunning sundowner locations. The camp also did an amazing job with dining, from breakfast along the river watching the baboons to lunch poolside and dinner gazing out at the watering hole. I will never forget waking from a nap the afternoon of arriving, sitting up in bed, and watching a family of elephants play at the watering hole.

Our next camp was another amazing camp. Again, the location along the river was an opportunity to continuously watch wildlife in and along the river. And such fun to hear the hippos outside the tent at night. The camp manager was welcoming and fun. We had fun dinners shared with him and his right-hand gals. Again, we had a great guide and an amazing tracker. We were able to enjoy many animal engagements without the crowd. We did do the hot-air balloon ride. Although the ride was fun, the best part is it got us to the farther side of the Maasai Mara. Therefore, we were able to see the mass migration on the return trek, which was a long drive. But once again, the animal viewing was amazing and worth every minute.

And finally, the gorillas in Rwanda! The experience was magical. We had a two-and-a-half-hour hike (not too arduous) to see the Titus family. We were told we were very fortunate, as they are related to Dian Fossey’s original family. Although we got some amazing pictures, just to stand and be in the moment with these creatures is a memory I will never forget. We were impressed with how clean a country Rwanda is. Our stay at our hotel enabled us to be close to the park, and the rooms were comfortable.

My family and I are grateful for the memorable experience our travel company assembled for us. They were very patient with our questions and resolving the Rwanda flight reschedule. I can be a little over the top, “dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s,” trying to get things correct. We also brought home some amazing mementos of our travels. In both Nairobi and Rwanda, the driver/guide introduced us to “women’s villages,” where women (and others) engaged in handcrafts (beading, art, woodworking, etc.). It felt good to support these artists. And shopping at the airstrip in the Maasai Mara was quite the experience!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to our travel company.

Zicasso's travel specialists organized an unforgettable Northeast African safari. Our agent and her team meticulously crafted our itinerary, ensuring it aligned perfectly with our interests. The entire trip was seamlessly organized, with each stop providing a unique experience.

The camps and lodges we stayed in were exceptional. The food, accommodations, staff, and guides were all outstanding. The balloon ride along the Mara River in the Serengeti, canoe safari on Lake Manyara, and walking safari at a couple of our stops, in addition to the private game drives, added to the overall experience. The views from our rooms were breathtaking.

While we encountered an unfortunate event at the airport that wasn’t the agency’s fault, our agent's team was available via the emergency line and provided assistance.

Her expertise and attention to detail made our safari truly memorable. We wouldn’t have been able to arrange such a phenomenal trip without her assistance. We highly recommend our travel company for anyone seeking an incredible African safari experience.

Our African safari, organized by Zicasso’s tour company and its agent, was a trip of a lifetime. Their partnering with the local travel company was absolutely brilliant. Our guide was of the highest quality that could have been expected. 

The accommodations at the Ngorongoro Crater were amazing. The other accommodations were a bit more rustic, but they seemed perfectly located for our safaris. 

We would not recommend the "walk" to the elephant caves without more disclosure about the difficulty of the trek and the footwear required. We were not thrilled with the visit to the Maasai village. We felt taken advantage of. We would have preferred a visit to a village where our participation was more authentic and where we did not get a high-pressure sales pitch.  

Booking the hot-air balloon ride with the chosen company was an excellent choice. We have come back with so many memories of our time in Tanzania (including our stay in Zanzibar). We would highly recommend our travel company and agent to anyone considering an African safari.