MJ Safaris & Adventures Team
MJ Safaris & Adventure
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1984)
- Member Of:
- TATO & EAWLS
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $4,340 to $26,038 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Rahul | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An honest review by a solo traveler doing a budget safari
This is my honest review as an American solo traveler doing a budget safari (as a student who's on a budget). I thoroughly cover pros and cons and encourage anyone seriously considering MJ to closely read this. In summary, MJSafari is an absolutely phenomenal operator for the value you end up getting for $190-$200/day, and you can rest assured it is reliable and solid. Best of all, you can pay with credit card (they prefer cash but if you don't want to carry all that cash with you traveling abroad, you can pay in advance (it's like 3% extra with card, which is fine)).
I'm pretty risk averse and spent more time than I'm willing to admit looking for the right operator. I saw a high amount of good reviews on Safari Bookings; I was also already in Tanzania and so was able to call Jackson (the point of contact) who was extremely helpful answering all my questions. I did a 5 day/4 night group safari through Ngorongoro, Serengetti, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara in March. For most of you all reading this, you'll probably end up emailing him a bunch if you're not already in Tanzania.
I did a budget-joining safari where I was a solo traveler and joined a group already set to travel. MJSafaris also offers private safaris, and I can't comment on those; they might cost more since it's your own jeep, but your experience will be better and you have more flexibility with your schedule and how long you spend in each park. Even if you're looking to do a private safari, I would still recommend MJ based on my experience with their group safari
First off, with safaris, you need to understand the nature of a "budget joining safari." It's not necessarily one big company. This is a few different companies that pool their staff/jeeps together so that they give you the flexibility of joining a group safari on any given day and any given itinerary. This is extremely useful if you're a solo traveler and want to visit 4 locations, even as 5 other people in your very same jeep want to only visit 3 (this was my case: I was traveling with a group who had just summited Kili with MJ; after we all saw 3 parks together, they left back for Moshi and I saw Lake Manyara with just one other person. If you look below and see a review by Marcia K, that's the group I joined :) ). Only a budget joining safari will let you see any # of places you want, starting on any given day, without paying a ridiculous sum of money.
If you try to book your VERY own safari itinerary with other companies, you will be paying substantially more since it is private. For a 5 day safari, that can mean the difference between paying $900-$1000 vs $2000-$3000. Though at the end of the day, you are visiting the same exact locations as the other companies. Your jeeps are next to their jeeps and you're watching the same animals. Even as some people say you get what you pay for, I really didn't see the need to pay 2-3x more money considering what I got with MJ. Save your money.
Let me now explain the trade offs. For instance, some mornings, you may want to be in the jeep as early as possible, and you may be told to be ready by 8 AM to start your 2 hr journey to the next park, but you may not actually get on the road to the next park until 9 AM. You'll see some reviews below get irked by this. If you pay 2-3x the money for your own safari, then you can tell your safari operator to start whenever you want (e.g., before sunrise) and create your own custom itinerary. For me, it was a trade off I was completely fine with given the money I was spending. $190/day is actually a really good deal, and we saw some incredible stuff on the game drives. And don't worry, you will still do some sunrise safaris: we did one in Serengetti, which was awesome. But generally speaking, with a budget joining safari, things will be a bit more chill with the staff; they may start the safari later than you want, but not by that much. You still get to see things for a good amount of the day. And it does not hinder your enjoyment (particularly if you know to expect it). I'm just objectively covering pros and cons here and want to make sure people reading these reviews understand that you're not completely controlling the itinerary (like on my safari we spent 1 day in Serengeti, which was awesome, but if you want to spend 2-3 days in Serengetti, then you may not be able to do that unless you arrange for your own private safari, which is pricey).
They have a lot of drivers; from the ones we had experience with, the best ones are Nelly and Tony. Try to request either of them. Nelly is the best in my opinion. Spotted animals with eagle eyes, talked about the animals a lot, etc.
If you're still reading this massive wall of text, you might be like me and be a bit hesitant as to what to do: you're about to make a big decision and spend a lot of money in a foreign country. I can absolutely assure you MJSafaris is a solid company to commit to. Like I said earlier you can pay with credit card. Even though it's 3% extra I prefer this b/c if something super unexpected happens, you can always dispute with your credit card company (it's like an insurance mechanism, though MJSafaris is a pretty well established and reliable company so you don't have to worry about that; still, I prefer for things to be documented in paper that I paid, without bringing a titanic sum of cash abroad).
I had read some of the rare 1 and 2 star reviews below and certainly had some concerns (again, it's a budget joining safari, so there might be an occasional hiccup; you have to prepare for it potentially happening). I did not experience any problems at all. Jackson was also extremely, extremely gracious to give me a complementary ride BACK to the airport from my hotel in Moshi since I spent a night there after my safari (it's normally $40 by taxi and he could have easily charged me, which he didn't, and so I still tipped the driver $15).
Even as you look at other reviews for other companies and are still debating which company given that it's a fairly big decision, I can attest that this is a well established company you can trust--one that will give you an excellent value for the money you spend, particularly if you're a solo traveler, or even if you're a giant group. Safe travels and good luck with your decision. And to MJ Safaris if you're reading: thanks for a great experience!
Email Damian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid these guys!
I have never written an online review but feel I should.
As soon as I paid my deposit communication suddenly went very quiet and I had to send several chaser emails to find out what was going on.
Finally a day before we were due to start I received an email 'Pick-up at 6.30am'. 6.30am came and went and at 7.30am I finally received an email response saying 'Call driver 07xxxxxxx'. Not even an apology. You can imagine how stressful this was morning was! When I spoke to the driver on the phone he explained that one of the guests on our safari had a delayed flight and was waiting at the airport. When I met the others they said they all arrived the previous day! Other than that, they hadn't prepared the vegetarian option for lunch which I had requested.
The second day brought more dramas. After being told to wake up at 7am for an 8am start we were all extremely frustrated to find the driver had disappeared. He eventually came back at 10am and explained that his boss hadn't put the funds on his company card. We missed out on 2 hours in the Ngorongoro crater because of this.
We were promised extra time in Serengeti to compensate for this but on the 3rd day exactly the same thing happened! The driver even asked if anyone could pay the balance on their card and that his boss would refund through the web!
I know they offer extremely cheap packages but no saving is worth the stress of waiting around to get into a park on a once in a life time trip. Pay a little bit more and avoid MJ Safaris."
Email Mahendra Sagar | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Budget Joining Safari, Good Driver/Guide, Excellent Service
I contacted MJ Safaris based on reviews here and Jackson Lyimo promptly responded to my questions and provided info. Jackson provided a bit of discount to bring the price down to $950 for 5D/4N safari, including pickup from Moshi in a local bus/shuttle and drop-off to KIA airport at the end of safari. I paid a deposit via Credit Card and the remainder at the beginning of Safari in Arusha (in both cash $ as well as Tanzania currency).
This was a budget joining safari meaning people join as and when they are ready to start their safari. On the first day, we were only 2 but the remaining 4 days, we had a full house of 6. The accommodation on all 4 days was basic. First day in Panorama Camp, we had an African Igloo Hut while the remaining 2 nights in Serengeti and one on the Ngorongoro Crater we had our own tents that were carried on top of the safari vehicle. A cook was with us all five days who would make food and you could get vegetarian food - but do specify your requirements so they can buy things in advance in Arusha - once you are in Serengeti, there is nothing you can get anywhere (Hint: buy your own food in Arusha before the safari starts).
Our driver/guide Emmanuel was courteous and helpful and could spot all kinds of creatures. We were very lucky to see Cheetahs over 7 times and a Rhino up close! That was the highlight of the trip. If you want to see wild creatures in their natural habitat, this safari is a must. We also visited a Maasai Village on our way out of Serengeti and that was another highlight of the trip.
Again, since this was a budget joining safari, no matter who you book with, you might join the same group! However, MJ Safaris was a trustworthy and reliable agency that provided all the services they promised and I have no hesitation in recommending them highly.
A final note: a Chinese girl on our safari paid only $800 for the exact 5d/4n safari but she came at the last moment so if you can join at the last moment, you might be able to get the best prices!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
6 day Kilimanjaro climb and six day family safari
Jackson Lyimo helped us book a successful Kilimanjaro climb for my two sons aged 18 and 16 as well as a six day game safari for my family of four. Impressed with the great people, quality of communication by email and in person. Prices were very reasonable. Offices located in the Moshi Ymca. The Ymca is basic but with gorgeous swimming pool and views of Kilimanjaro. You won't do better.
DK
Email Johann Vestergaard | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
On top of Africa with MJ Safaris
My girlfriend and me went from Kenya to Tanzania in the matter of climbing Kilimanjaro. We took a bus to Moshi and met the tour operator Jackson. In the same evening we went to a local restaurant and on our way back to our hostel we were roped. We called Jackson because he was the only guy we knew in Tanzania. He stood up in the middle of the night and came to help us. We supposed to start the climb the day after the accident but we could not because we should have made a new passport. In one week Jackson was so helpful and he took us to the hospital and the police station to get our documents. After that week we were ready to start the hike. It was the most beautiful experience standing on Uhuru peak and see the sunrise in a great panorama view. After our experiences with Jackson and his company, MJ Safaris, we can only give him and his company the best recommendation because of a service level higher that we have ever experienced in Africa before.
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Refund
I have previously written a review about the difficulties I had on my safari. However, the company have since apologised once again for the mix up with the vehicle on the final day, and have refunded me the cost of the final day, which is a generous response to a genuine mistake. This also makes me feel sure that the experience I had is not at all the usual quality you can expect from them, as reflect in the other very glowing reviews below! Thanks to Jackson for sorting this out.
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poorly organised, vehicle not as advertised, terrible communication
I did a three-day safari organised through MJ. It was a really disappointing experience in terms of the organisation, and not matching what I actually paid for. I contacted the company afterwards and was impressed by Jackson's swift explanation, apology and offer to partially refund the cost - but after successive emails and excuses from them went quiet, and never actually did refund me, which is a really poor way to run a business.
I am aware joining safaris are liable to be a little slow and chaotic, and I was patient about this - even when I nearly ended up being taken to a different country! But not being provided with the agreed kind of vehicle on the final day made me feel like I needed to officially complain.
On the first day, on arriving in Arusha, I was put on a bus that was going to Kenya - and only realized it wasn't the right vehicle when I was asked for a passport! No-one from the shuttle bus transport company knew anything about a safari. This was alarming, as a solo female traveler suddenly in a different city, not knowing where to go.
After being driven around for a while by a taxi driver who had no clue what was happening, I had to use my international data roaming to get online to find MJ Safaris number, which cost me a further $10. No phone number was provided when booking. I was then taken to the correct hotel to join a safari group, but it was not a great start!
On the second day, I was told to get up for breakfast at 6am. After waiting three and a half hours, we finally left at 9.30am. This was frustrating.
On the third day, again there was a delay at the campsite, as my driver struggled with a card payment. At the entrance to Lake Manyara, we again waited for a further hour - something to do with the card, or it being a Sunday? It wasn't clear. Again, this delay was frustrating.
Worse, however, was that the car I was in was not a Land Crusier 4x4. It was just a taxi. This meant the windows were blacked out, which was not good for viewing animals. There was a sunroof, but of course it was open to the sky. The sun was very fierce, and I had to avoid it to prevent getting sunburnt, which also made things difficult. They did not have any binoculars, which made viewing animals more difficult. You couldn't stand up when the vehicle was moving, as the sunroof was not padded. I also had safety concerns given there were animals such as baboons who might have jumped in! Finally, the vehicle was clearly unsuited for some of the roads/rivers it had to travel on; it was a very bumpy ride, and the driver was evidently nervous about driving through water.
The driver did a really good job, all things considered, but the booking specifically stated it would be a different vehicle.
I was very disappointed by the disorganization of the trip, but especially the fact that it deviated on the last day from the vehicle as advertised and paid for.
MJ Safaris explained when I complained afterwards that all this was because a group had cancelled at the last minute, and so I had been subcontracted out. I appreciate mistakes can happen, and appreciated their response, which offered to refund the cost of the final day. But it was doubly frustrating to be offered compensation and then just to have follow up emails completely ignored.
NL
Email Philip | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tours with a wonderfull staff!
MJ Safaris organised for us (2 people) our Kilimanjaro-climb (Machame route) and 6 days safari (Arusha NP, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Natron with the climb of Ol Doinio Lengai) for a good price. Both trips were excellent, thanks to a very skilled, motivated and friendly staff. We enjoyed it fully and had no
complaints at all. I can certainly recommend MJ Safaris!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth your time and expense!
My travel partner and I had a fantastic safari with MJ Safaris. Jackson was a pleasure to deal with and did as much as he could to plan out the 4 day, 3 night safari to suit all requests and needs. He was very diligent about the business and matters at hand. Our guide, Tom, was a joy. Very knowledgable about the surrounding area and the animals living within. Good natured and way going - a good combination for such an excursion. All this combined to create one memorable experience. You can't go wrong booking with MJ Safaris!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti Safari
We booked a four day three nights camping Safari with MJ Safari to Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Everything was well organized. The camping was a great experience. We had our own cook who made very delicious meals. The guide was very friendly. We were able to see all the animals. I would definitly book again with MJ Safari.