5 Days Safari to Nyerere NP (Selous GR) and Mikumi NP

This is the review for the 5-day African Pangolin Safaris visiting Mikumi and Nyerere park. We are a group of 12 travelers in the mid 50s to the 70s from Montreal, Canada, experiencing the first so called safari in Tanzania.  We are fortunate to have signed up with this band of brothers (seriously two brothers Mansour and Yunus) who led us through the rugged terrain of Tanzania national parks for 5 days in two Toyota LandCruiser with pop-up tops. There was apprehension in the group at the beginning of the quest when we were to give up the comfort of city life for the dusty trails. It seemed that the brothers could read our mind, stopped at the right time for nature calls, picked the best lunch spots in the middle of nowhere that were accentuated by some memorable spots such as the humongous baobab tree that smugglers used the hollow trunk as a hideout from the law in recent pasts. They arranged the most convenient lunches midday at a stop when we were prearranged to bypass the long line of customers at a buffet that provided delicious local food. That's a privilege appreciated by the weary travelers who looked for a cool spot to rest the battered body. It took awhile for the group to get in sync with the operation focusing on the big five animals of the territory, bouncing "aimlessly" through endless pathways at idle pace, ... and suddenly, here we were switching into what seemed like neck breaking pace on the not so smooth trails when, over the radio, there was a "point of interest" that turned out to be two full grown lions taking a nap by the roadside, oblivious to the presence of the uninvited guests. Observing the majestic animals (giraffes, Wildebeest, hippos, .. ) along with birds in the wild made the trip worth while. We have first hand view of the African Eagle to compare to our Canadian bald eagle. The brothers will not hesitate charging through narrow passages that made us cringe when tree branches gave the sides of the vehicles a brush job that will require serious detailing to remove the scars off the paint. The brothers provided ample of time to take in the scenery without feeling pressed for time, an undeniable quality felt and can hardly quantified. It was a well paced program allowing the group to enjoy the ruggedness of nature, get the questions answered which revealed the in-depth knowledge of the professional guides. That was an educational experience that I personally appreciate. The brothers were patient, courteous, friendly throughout the long days searching for the best spots, the most unique scenes, answering multitudes of questions with facts and back story, contrasting the calmness when traversing the rugged terrain that required technical skills to overcome. The food choice was excellent, blending local cooking with some traditional western dishes that help balance the adventure with home cooking. Banda bungalow Selous was top in the group's mind. In all, I would be amiss not admitting the overload of sensation during the 5-day adventure. The recall is spotty at best but the memory etched deep in this memorable vacation. There are not enough words to thank Yunus and big brother Mansour to make this safari a wonderful possibility. They are a big factor in making this vacation a success. Now, we have plenty of time to peruse the photo collection for a recall of the many details of past events and relive the adrenaline-packed five-day adventure. The group is very happy to have chosen African Pangolin Safari and we were amply rewarded. The big brother Mansour is discretely a bit stricter than Yunus on when to stand while the vehicle is moving, I later found out. Well, all is in the name of safety for all aboard and we appreciate it. Thank you Mansour and Yunus. 'til the next time.

Lots of animals. The view is beautiful from near and far. Incredible experience driving in the forest on unparalleled trails.

Excellent service, friendly guide / driver Exceptionally knowledgeable guide Would recommend again to everyone ...

We did the 5 day Safari from Dar Es Salaam and the whole experience was incredible. I dealt with Mansoor during the booking process and he was professional, very responsive and friendly, and easily added on an extra person to the itinerary. Yunus was our safari guide and he was not only incredibly knowledgeable on all the animals and wildlife, but he was also very respectful towards them. We thoroughly enjoyed our safari and wouldn’t hesitate to use them again and have recommended them to friends and family.

Communication before safari: Travelling during covid-19 spread crisis is quite adventurous and risky. But if you find a reliable tour operator the risk minimizes. Before choosing the safari I received a lot of quotes from different companies, but Mansoor from African Pangolin Safaris was the person who took into consideration all my requests and proposed great itineraries adapted to our budget. The communication with him was always prompt and reliable, something very important when your flights were canceled and rebooked several times. The safari: We had fantastic guide – Yunus. He took care of us during the whole travel, he drove with masterpiece this huge 4x4 vehicle, he knew the parks and the animals. Selous boat safari was very pleasant - a lot of hippos, crocodiles, beautiful birds and fantastic sunset. The game drive in Selous was amazing. It is a very beautiful park with different landscapes and a lot of lakes. We saw giraffes, kudus, impalas, gnus, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, monkeys, different birds, lizzards, pumbas, etc. The drive between Selous and Mikumi was exhausting as the road was mainly offroad and 350 km took us almost 9 hours, but it was also rewarding. we passed through different villages with local people, we crossed the mountain and enjoyed the different landscapes. The Mikumi park was not so beautiful as Selous but there we were lucky to spot leopard! We also saw elephant herds with very small baby elephants. The thing I didn`t like in both parks are the huge trucks that pass by. In Selous they started build a hydroplant and a lot of trucks entered the park every day. Through Mikumi passes an international road with a busy truck traffic. If there were no such noise I assume we would seen much more animals, including lions. Some tips: - have a good repellent against mosquitos and other insects; - bring good binoculars – without it you will miss more than 50% of the animals you may see; - bring good camera, phone photos are not comparable to a good camera photo; - exchange money, some of the shops accept only Tanzanian shillings. You can do this at the airport. Have some small notes for tips. - bring toiletries, there is soap in the camps, but no shampoo, etc. Thank you, Yunus and Mansoor for these great 5 days!