Tanzania and the Great East African Migration

Although this was my first Road Scholar trip, I had heard good things about RS for years and they certainly didn't disappoint. Road Scholar provided me with very organized and detailed information about what the trip I chose would be like. And anytime I called with questions, they were polite, patient and informative. I would definitely recommend a Road Scholar trip to anyone seeking adventure.

The East Africa Great Migration Tour was wonderful in so many ways. Simply being in the landscape, seeing so many beautiful animals, and enjoying the range of lovely accommodations added up to a worthwhile and terrific experience. The roads are bumpy so hang onto your hat!

This trip way exceeded my expectations! We saw so much and learned so much! The guides were fantastic and the lodging so nice. So worth it!

An exceptional life changing experience that I would recommend to everyone!

This trip was a dream fulfilled. Seeing all the animals in their natural environment was thrilling. Visiting villages and schools helped us learn about Tanzania as a country and culture. Would highly recommend.

This was a very interesting, educational, and well-organized adventure with very knowledgeable and personable guides. Thank you Moses and Kelvin for guiding and teaching us so much! Although some of the accommodations were luxurious, I did not find this to be a particularly relaxing vacation. That was fine for me, as I expected very early starts to see so many amazing animals; too many to even list! You stay in the Land Cruisers to do many game drives and see animals everywhere. When in the Serengeti, you drive long distances on very dusty and bumpy roads with no airconditioning, so definitely bring a good mask and a backbrace if you want more back stability. There are sufficient bathroom breaks (kept clean by attendants) and there is plenty of bottled water in the vans and lodges. To see the herds of wildebeests actually crossing the Mara River was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I found the food delicious with so many choices and opportunities to try new things, especially at the buffets. Great spices and so nice to be met at each lodge with juices and warm washcloths. Glamping at the Land of Nature camp was a highlight, although the roaring lion next to our tent kept me awake! We were able to have laundry done here. We woke up to three beautiful giraffes outside our mobile tent. Bucket showers were adequate, but don't expect good water pressure. Another highlight was the visit to the Maasai Village and school where we were met with beautiful singing. Our guides brought the Maasai people (such a difference in their way of life) lots of food. We visited an amazing market in Arusha. Bring plenty of smaller American currency as credit cards are not used at several locations. Weather in August was beautiful; dry warm days and cool nights. Due to such a long plane ride, it is unlikely I will return, but wish I could! So glad I did this trip and highly recommend.

This was on my bucket list since I was 5 years old. It was an incredible adventure that I will never forget. Moses was out leader and he was the very BEST! He was organized, professional, friendly, humorous, accomodating, and just a great leader. He knew EVERYTHING about every animal (including great imitations of the animals). He made the trip the incredible experience that it was. Length of time of trip was perfect. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this trip!

This was one of my most exceptional travel experiences ever -- particularly seeing the wildebeests crossing the Marra River and the sheer size of the herds on the northern Serengeti's plains. The variety and numbers of the wildlife we saw were far beyond my expectations, and our two guides/drivers (Moses Melaya and Kelvin Kiondo) were deeply knowledgeable about the animals and exceptionally skilled at negotiating the rough roads in the game parks. You should be aware, however, that the long hours of riding in cramped safari vehicles on bumpy and dusty roads makes this a physically demanding trip for participants.

The Africa Safari trip was outstanding in every way. The guides were wonderful. We saw thousands of animals up close and it was the very best trip of my life. I have been on many adventure trips including Equidor and Matu Pitcu, the Gallopigos, Antarctica and lots of Europe trips, Fantastic!

Ok, what should I say... I was worried, I'm too old and all that. Then came Moses, our African (and very wonderfully modern, I might add) guide. Moses absolutely made the trip for me from start to finish. I cannot say enough good things about this fabulous trip!! Just do it!! Road Scholar does their job in hiring THE BEST LOCAL PEOPLE!! And thank you Allan (oh, I adored Allan, the young one) and Moses, the best guides ever! Not only did they take care of me (all of us), they gave use such a comprehensive view of their country of which their love was obvious!! This is a fabulous trip and a bargain not to be missed. If you possibly can, I say do it.

The trip was absolutely fantastic. Our guides, Eddy and Giley were fabulous! We saw animals, animals, animals! Been in a foreign country when you do not speak, their language is always a bit stressful but With Eddy and Giley I felt completely safe, looked after, protected and really enjoyed my trip. Thanks to them.

Don't miss this chance to get close to the animals, mingle with the herds, see wildebeest from horizon to horizon, understand the culture, witness vistas unlike any other. A visit here will change your life.

This is a wonderful program with windows on animal behaviour, Tanzanian schools and Masai culture. Ask for Moses Meleya to be your guide. You won't be disappointed.

A thoroughly wonderful trip. Our guide, Ally, was excellent. He is knowledgeable, personable, practical, and patient. For the life of me, I don't know how he managed to drive in very challenging road conditions (rutted, muddy, sometimes flooded "roads") and simultaneously spot all sorts of wildlife. The accommodations and food exceeded my expectations. The mobile tent camp especially was much less rustic than I thought it would be. My only suggestion would be to add (or improve) battery storage to the solar power system. We had cloudy, rainy weather while we were there; as a result the lighting in the tents was very dim. A note on the food - my only disappointment was that we did not have more opportunities to try typical Tanzanian dishes. The Tanzanian lunch served at Mto Wa Mbu was a highlight in that respect. Overall: highly recommended program!!

This was the trip of a lifetime. Extraordinary guides, experiences, culture, wildlife viewing, accommodations, food.

Trip of a lifetime!

The trip was great for animal and migration sightings, game drives and visits to local villages at southern, central and northern Serengeti National Park grassland, woodland and watering holes. My trip highlight was the game drive down to and through the Ngorongoro Crater. My biggest regret was the "African Massage". Two weeks game drives on the uneven, rough and dusty roads were too much for us. Note that our tour group consisted of mostly senior citizens. The tour guides were extremely helpful and received great services from the local staff. A reminder for all travelers: Beware of the African Massage if you have back or joint problems. Another note for future travelers is that you are expected to camp among wild animals. You are safe if you stay in your tent after dark.

This is a wonderful program!! Edward provided deep knowledge about the animal and bird life in Tanzania and had a great sense of humor. It seemed we saw something truly unexpected around each day.

The animals were amazing and our guides knew when and where to find them. Our guides were amazing, entertaining, personable and very knowledgeable. The 'glamping' accomodations were much nicer than I had anticipated. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.

A first-rate opportunity to observe abundant and diverse wildlife up close.

We had the most amazing time!! Our guides, Moses & Giliard, were phenomenal. They were patient, very knowledgeable, organized and we all felt incredibly safe with them whether in the towns, villages or out in the bush. We saw so much and I am really enjoying reliving it as I look at all of my photos now that we're back. We saw the big 5, lots of birds, landscapes and we participated in cultural and community events. There was so much more to learn than I realized and under our guides we learned so much about their homelands. Their love & knowledge for Tanzania really showed ...

Outstanding in every aspect

An amazing number of animals, but best tolerated by those with little need for rest, camping experience, and no problem with long days of travel on rough, dusty roads.

I signed up for this program as a post-trekking safari after Kilimanjaro. It turned out to be a trip-of-a-lifetime. It conveniently starts in Arusha where I was staying. Elephants and lions at Tarangire National Park kicked off this amazing journey. Traveling the Serengeti from one end to the other is a great way to see the migration, with millions of animals in their natural habitat. It was amazing to see the wildebeest crossing the Mara River. I brought my camera with an 18-200mm zoom lens and had good results. There were many animals close to the safari vehicles for a phone camera. The trip leaders Moses and Babenga were fun and knowledgeable. Lodging was comfortable. I can still hear the lions roar in a distance.

This program was definitely worth the time and money. So glad I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania using Road Scholar.

I have been to Africa more than a dozen times to several different countries. This was my best experience of all!

This trip is amazing and comes highly recommended! A wonderful combination of safari and culture to truly appreciate the gifts of Tanzania -- its landscape, its animals, its people.

The trip to Tanzania was extremely well-planned, informative, and a lot of fun. Being with the animals and birds in their natural environment, and learning about the culture from such wonderful guides (as well as the fellow participants) was a unique opportunity. Asante sana!

This was a life changing experience! I am so glad I chose to go on this trip. Road Scholar always has great programs, but they out-did themselves with this one! The guides were outstanding. They were extremely knowledgeable and took such good care of us all. I loved, loved, loved everything!

Fabulous program. An excellent leader! I learned so much and had such a good time.There were no problems. There were simply no worries. Road Scholar took care of everything. Would highly recommend!

We were originally scheduled to take this trip in March 2020. Three days before departure, Covid changed everything. We were so glad to finally visit Tanzania in January 2022. It was one of the best trips we’ve taken. Lucas and Babenga were excellent guides! They shared so much of their knowledge with us. The sheer numbers of animals we saw was mind blowing, many of them up close. Another highlight was our interaction with the Maasai and other Tanzanians. Everyone was very friendly and so happy that we had come. The food exceeded our expectations. Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Minor inconveniences because of Covid were easy to overcome. We wore masks the few times we were around people (i.e. hotels, restroom stops). Most of the time we were in the open air. Testing was easy at the airport. No place was very crowded. It truly is one of the best times to visit!

If you want to see animals in the wild, this is the trip for you. The running joke was "oh, just another Giraffe, Elephant, Zebra, etc". Also, be advised, this is Africa, so not wheelchair friendly. Also, a lot of travel time on back roads, so if you have a bad back, be aware. If you have 4 wheeled in the past, you will love the roads! Also, bring binoculars!

This was truly an outstanding trip. Excellent guides & itinerary. Incredible number of animals seen. Top notch accommodations and meals. Much contact with the locals helped paint a good picture of life in Tanzania. The covid was only a minor hindrance. The testing went fine and we were able to cross all paperwork hurdles.

This trip went above and beyond any expectation I had. This is the perfect time to go to Tanzania. While Covid has certainly made traveling more uncertain, the advantage is that there are so few tourists! There were times when we felt like we had “the place to ourselves.” You can see so much more - close up and personal. We are so glad we did this trip.

This program far exceeded our expectations. The quality of the tour guides and their knowledge made this an outstanding experience. Tanzania was a welcoming and delightful country to visit. We would recommend to anyone and their family.

This program was excellent in every way. There is a good mix of authentic cultural and wildlife experiences. Our group leader (Gerald Kane) was exceptional, and the logistics were flawlessly executed by the local tour company Road Scholar sub-contracts with.

This program is not a walk in the park but it is an outstanding educational experience that will enlighten your view of Africa/Tanzania at many levels--culture, conservation,etc--and be a most enjoyable experience.

Our leaders enabled us to see seven of the "big seven" animals. They understood animal behaviours and managed the group which made a pleasant and an enjoyable trip. This trip ranks in the top 10% of group trips we've made to over 25 countries.

The only problem I encountered was in getting the visa for Tanzania. Our only other trip to Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia) included Road Scholar (or it's agent) obtaining the necessary visas for our crossing from one country to another. We could not scan the necessary documents for one of the methods to obtain the Tanzanian visas. Then, because it was not clear why the visa process went through Barcelona, my credit card company thought that it was a fraudulent transaction and cancelled my card. We were really worried that we would not get the visas. Holbrook was very supportive through the process of signing up for the program and getting the type of airline accommodations we wanted. They also came through for an extension of four days beyond the Road Scholar portion of the trip.

The Tanzania people were so welcoming and exciting everywhere our guides took us. The Great Migration program was amazing. Would love to return someday. ROAD SCHOLAR is the best !!

Great Migration Trip Well Done!!

Tanzania and the Great East African Migration program was beyond my wildest dream!! You will not be disappointed with the abundant wildlife sightings, the comfortable accommodations, the delicious food and the knowledge, expertise and kindness of the program leaders!

When choosing a place to view wildlife choose Tanzania. The Serengeti National Park, Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater are home to an amazing abundance of wild life and birds. The opportunity to view the Wildebeest migration is one you cannot miss. Group leaders are outstanding, groups are small, safari vehicles clean, and well maintained, accomodations comfortable and varied so you enjoy experiences from lodges, to semi permanent tents and bush camps. A really well planned adventure. Don't miss it!

Program far exceeded my expectations and most of that was due to the Group Leader Allan Martin and Carnivore Safaris, the provider for the program. The Migration of Wildebeest was in a word "astounding". Seeing the animals from horizon-to-horizon was simply breathtaking. Our group of seven was split between two Safari vehicles so we were never crowded or lacked a viewing spot to see the wildlife. This program had the best "box meals" of any program I have attended. The owner of Carnivore Safaris hosted everyone to a luncheon the last day to get our feedback on what could be improved. I think to a person he only got compliments. His wife was responsible for thinking up the containers that allowed to the "box meals" to be hot and appetizing and not just another "Brown Bag" as usual. I would recommend this Program to everyone who likes seeing the wildlife and the dependence all wildlife in the big picture.