We saw the big five in one day and stayed at a great campsite in Serengeti. Lemomo is a great driver and could guide us to all the nice areas in Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater.

If you are investigating safari options for Tanzania, you know that there are MANY companies to choose from. We solicited bids from several companies that are highly rated on Tripadvisor, including Safari by Z. The proposed itinerary from Safari by Z stood out for several reasons. First, they itemized the cost of everything (airport transfer, park entry permits, hotel/lodging costs, etc). Other companies just offered a bottom line, per-person price. Second, for each of our nights, they offered mid range and luxury lodging options along with website links to each lodge or hotel. We spent time and looked at each option and ended up choosing a mix of mid range and luxury options. We were somewhat late in planning our safari and finally booked it less than a month before arrival. Safari by Z remained very flexible and engaged, maintained reliable email contact, verified receipt of payment, and answered all questions that arose.

My wife suggested that we spend a full day in Arusha after our late night arrival, instead of setting out on safari 9 hours after entering the country. This is a great idea and I would highly suggest it. Safari by Z easily arranged an extra hotel night. Furthermore, our excellent driver, Oscar, volunteered to stop by on this "pre-safari" day and take us on a city tour which was much appreciated.

We can't say enough good things about our guide/driver, Oscar. He indicated that he was matched to us because like us, he also has several children. They try to match the demographics of guides with the demographics of the client. It is our understanding that Oscar is the most experienced guide in the Safari by Z lineup. His level of experience was very apparent. He clearly knew many of the drivers from other companies and talked to them frequently in passing and on the radio. This exchange of information led to additional animal sightings (at least 6 leopards, 5 cheetahs, many lions, etc). He was very knowledgeable, had a knack for spotting little bumps in trees from a great distance that turned out to be big cats, and was always flexible with the daily plan, according to our wishes. He had a good sense of humor and was always calm and easy going. One day a fuse in the Land Rover blew, bringing us to a stop. Within a short time, Oscar had cut a short piece of wire, bypassed the problem, and had us running again - another part of the adventure that really caused us no trouble. I'm sure all the guide-drivers are great, but if you want someone with 17+ years experience guiding safaris with amazing knowledge of the area ("There is only one more speed bump on this road."), then ask for Oscar.

While we were on safari, we asked to change our post-safari hotel, which had already been booked. Safari by Z handled the change - no problem - mere days before scheduled arrival. The hotels/lodges all have WiFi (of varying quality), but the Land Rover carried its own hotspot which we didn't leave on continuously, but was always available if we asked.

You will see that most safaris involve roughly the same itinerary and use similar lodges. And I'm sure many or most companies deliver a good experience. However, based on our experience, I have no hesitation recommending Safari by Z and would easily choose them (and Oscar) for any future safaris.