Zara Tours
- Offices In:
-
Canada
- Size:
- 250+ employees (Founded in 1987)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, IATA, ASTA, TATO, TTB, WITIA & STI
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours that, when possible, use accommodations owned and operated by them
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,731 to $10,216 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
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If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Priyanka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Guide, Poor Administrative Services & Communication
I booked a five-day safari tour of Northern Tanzania through Zara Tours in early August. The tour itself was an incredible experience. Our guide, Regan, was knowledgeable, and we learned a lot of about the animals living in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Unfortunately, there was some poor communication with the administrative staff of Zara Tours. We booked our trip before June 30, 2017 and at the time there was a promotional deal going on which stated that if were booked before 6/30/2017, our airport transfers would be included our package. The salesperson we were communicating with, Kitondo, also confirmed this via email. I also doubled checked when we arrived to the Springlands Hotel with a female staffer that our airport transfers were included. She said yes. After we completed our safari tour, we came back to the Springlands Hotel and I once again confirmed the night before our departure with another female staffer that our airport transfer the next day was included in the package we purchased. She said yes. The morning of our departure, there was a male staffer at the front desk who helped us check out of the hotel. He told us that we owed $60 USD for the previous airport transfer (from airport to hotel) and we would have to pay an additional $60 USD if we wanted to be driven to the airport. We tried to explain to him that the package with bought included airport transfers. He said Kitondo had told him it wasn't included. He allegedly called Kitondo and spoke in Swahili with her on the phone while we watched. At the end of the phone call he said that she said our package did not include transfers. Instead of arguing with this man, we decided to pay the money for the prior transfer were had taken and take a taxi to the airport (which was much cheaper).
I later looked up our package online and looked up emails with Kitondo and I called this male staffer. I was very upset and told him that I had proof that airport transfers were included. I told him I could come back to the hotel (our flight didn't leave until late at night) so he could return our money. He said that he had to "check with someone first" and that he would call me back. I gave him my phone number. He never called me back. I am convinced this was a scam on this man's part because he was upset that we had not bought anything at the hotel. My sister had been living in Moshi for 3 months prior to this safari trip so she knew taxi drivers and was familiar with the area. So instead of purchasing dinner or drinks at the hotel, we venture outside. Therefore, we had no hotel bill to settle.
If I were to do this over again, I would get everything in detailed writing and print out copies of the terms of the agreement. I would also write down names of the staffers. Ultimately, it was not the money that was an issue but rather the unprofessional nature of this exchange.
Other issues
We had travelers with dietary restrictions on our trip. For the most part, these were accommodated well but there were a few times when we could only eat rice and pasta. I recommend bringing your own snacks just in case. Breakfast and dinner options are decent but the "lunch boxes" are not great. You may want to pack your own snacks for lunch.
The five day safari felt a little long. I would recommend something a little shorter, maybe 4 days. It's gets very tiring to be in a bumpy car for 8-10 hours each day.
I highly recommend staying in one of the wild camps. It was an amazing experience to be in a tent in the middle of the Serengeti and wake up to gazelles outside.
IT
Email Giuliana | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional and efficient
Un unforgettable experience! One of the best holidays of our life. Wonderful 5-day Safari, very attentive staff. Hamza our tour guide has been amazing! Thank you!
Email Taylor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Zara Tours delivered a truly extraordinary safari with amazing guides and unforgettable memories!!
Zara Tours exceeded every expectation and delivered one of the most unforgettable travel experiences I’ve ever had. From the very beginning their communication was clear and reassuring, they made the entire planning process very stress-free.
The service throughout the trip was exceptional. Every detail was thoughtfully organised to suit us, everything ran smoothly and on time, and you could tell they genuinely care about their guests having the best possible experience. I found Zara Tours from tik tok and I was a bit sceptical at first as I’d never done anything like this, however they were incredibly reliable, which made it easy to just relax and fully enjoy the adventure.
My father and I did the 8 Day Big 5 Safari, and it was absolutely incredible. The itinerary was perfectly put together, giving us the chance to see so much without ever feeling rushed. Every day felt like something out of a documentary. Amazing wildlife, stunning landscapes, and truly once in a lifetime moments. It was unreal, you truly can’t describe it.
A huge highlight of the entire trip was our guide, Nora. She is genuinely outstanding. So knowledgeable, passionate, and experienced. Nora has an incredible eye for spotting wildlife and went above and beyond to make sure we saw as much as possible. On top of that, she is the most warm, friendly, and funny person and made the whole experience so much more enjoyable. You can tell she absolutely loves what she does, and it shows in every part of the tour. We felt so lucky to have her, she truly made the trip unforgettable.
Amazing value for money. The quality of the experience, level of service, and attention to detail far exceeded what I expected.
I couldn’t recommend Zara Tours more highly. If you’re thinking about doing a safari this is the company to go with!!!! Thankyou for giving me memories I will never forget. I’ll be back soon to do a wet season safari for sure. :)
Email Radhika Isola | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
Booked 9 day safari with Zara via safaribookings.com. Absolutely great experience. Promptly picked up from Arusha airport. Our hotel in Arusha was Gold crest suites. Excellent hotel and service. Visited Tarangiri, Serengeti, Ngorogoro, Lake Maynard, lake essyo etc. Absolutely enjoyed our tour, these national parks are most beautiful places. Our guide cum driver Ibrahim was an excellent skillful driver. He knows exactly how to spot animals in every park. He was tremendously helpful and treated us very well. Traveling with such a caring person made our trip memorable. Definitely recommend Zara tours to everyone. Ask for Ibrahim.
NO
Email Anne Marie Gjems | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent organized safari and good quality of camps and hotel.
My husband and I have had such a fantastic 6 days safari in Tanzania (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara) Everything was perfectly organized and we were taken good care of by our experienced guide Ibrahim as from he met us at the airport in Kilimanjaro until we left for Zanzibar. We have seen more of the wildlife, animals and birds than we could ever dream of. Ibrahim had such a good knowledge of the wildlife, the nature and history and he could answer to all our questions. He had many interesting and fun stories to tell us, so we laughed a lot. He is a good photographer and shared his photo’s with us as, so we could focus on the animals. Thanks a lot! 😊
NO
Email Mette Johansen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent from the beginning to the end
Thank’s to Zara Tours and Mr. Kimolo and his assistent Madiba and the porters, the chef and all the people that made our hiking to Uhuru Peak - the top of Africa to the best adventure ever!! We did also enjoy Safari with Zara Tours guide, John, 7 years ago. The same goes to that adventure; superduper!! Kindly regards Tom and Mette, Norway
IE
Email Pascalina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilimanjaro Trekking
We returned to Tanzania for another adventures with Zara Tanzania and it was awesome as we had expected. Trekking Kilimanjaro is not easy but we were able to reach the summit for a number of reasons. To start with we were in great physical shape from the rigorous training we had done, we had a great crew supporting us and all the logistics were in place. We had a terrific time on that mountain with guide Lema taking the lead to ensure that we were safe and well supported at all times. I highly recommend Zara Tanzania Adventures for a job well done.
BE
Email Elena Butnaru | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilimanjaro Trekking
This trek was one of the toughest challenges I have ever undertaken, and having the support of Zara Tanzania made all the difference. I highly recommend working with Zara Tanzania Adventures on Kilimanjaro because I witnessed the expertise and resources they have built over the years. The crew, led by our tour guide Lema, was knowledgeable, attentive, and brilliant. We learned so much about Kilimanjaro and shared many special moments on the trail. The food was incredibly nice and plentiful. We all made it to the summit and owe it all to the team from Zara
Email Geo Didi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Zara Tours is the Best
We had an outstanding experience with Zara Tours. Our guide Joseph was knowledgeable, kind, and went above and beyond to make our trip special. The 4x4 safari vehicle was comfortable, clean, and had spacious for the 4 of us and aldo left enough room to keep our equipment, supplies and even a small fridge to keep our water and drinks cool. We witnessed a variety of wild animals in their natural habitat, which was truly phenomenal. I encourage anyone considering a trip to Tanzania to book with Zara Tours.
Trusted
Zara Tours made this joint Kilimanjaro climb and 4-day Safari an experience of a lifetime!
The hotel in Moshi along with our lead guide Mndeme Ramadhan, Adam, and our Safari driver/guide, Mohammed were EXCELLENT. The climb was arduous and without the team effort by the entire Zara team many of us would not have summitted. Well done and Jambo!