Mousebird Safaris Review & African Safari Tips
My brother and sister-in-law just had the most beautiful wedding and to match, they headed off on the honeymoon of a lifetime on an African Safari with Mousebird Safaris and then finished in Dubai. How incredible is that? They loved their African Safari so much, and so appreciated the tips that people kindly gave them on my Instagram, that they wanted to return the favour and give you all their advice on booking your own Tanzania Safari.
One of the main reasons they wanted to put together this post is because, quite honestly, Mousebird Safaris’ website (at the time) didn’t look the most professional and we were all a little worried. It has since had an update and it looks great! My brother and sister-in-law had the most amazing time on their 5-Day Safari Tour, and I think you’ll agree, they took the most incredible photos!
African Safari – What to book?
They booked the 5-Day Mid Range Group Joining Tour via safaribookings.com which meant they visited Tarangire National Park, Central Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park.
How much does an African Safari cost?
For two people the cost was $2880. More affordable options are available in the public campsites. They paid a 10% Deposit when booking, the rest was paid in cash when they arrived in Tanzania and met the guide. This also included their airport transfers, so one less thing to worry about.
How do I prepare for an African Safari?
It’s really important to get your recommended vaccines, and you may need to take Malaria Tablets too. They used this website to find out which vaccines and information they needed and then booked in with their NHS GP. You can pay privately too but your GP should be able to supply your vaccine history and provide you with what you need.
What essentials to take with you?
- Binoculars
- The Best Camera you can get your hands on with multiple lenses
- Mini Portable Fans
- SPF 50
- Mosquito repellent (Several different types of sprays/plug-ins/bracelets)
- Malaria Tablets
- After bite
- Neutral coloured clothes (avoid black/blue clothing as this attracts mosquitoes and other flies. Camouflage-printed clothing is not allowed at all.)
- Hand Sanitiser
- Wet wipes
- Paracetamol
- Imodium
- Suitable footwear
- Cap/Safari hat
- Sunglasses
- Long trousers (It is quite cool when the vehicle is moving)
- Long sleeve tops/fleece it is a little chilly in the morning and evening
- Packable waterproof jacket
- Bag pack (for the essentials whilst on the drives)
- Pack your stuff in a duffel bag
- Standard UK plug sockets were in all of their accommodations
- WonderConnect eSIM
What camera is best for a Safari?
They borrowed my Sony A7iii with a 55-210 lens for all of these shots and they came out incredibly. Some animals got so close that they could have done with a closer-up lens too but definitely worth investing, hiring, and borrowing, the best camera you can possibly get your hands on!
African Safari – What was the Accommodation like?
The night before: Arusha Tulia Boutique – The night before the Safari we were recommended to stay here due to their late flight. It was £70 for the night and included breakfast. It’s always recommended to arrive a day before your Safari Tour starts in case of any delays. They also left their main bags here and only took with them what they needed. It’s also recommended not to fly home straight away so that you have a full day as their final day was cut short due to their flight time.
Clean hotel and has friendly staff. Tea and coffee-making facilities in the room. Live sports (English Premier League) in the bar/restaurant. Securely gated accommodation. Perfect for a 1-night stay to refresh before or after your Safari. The hotel accepts USD and Tanzania Shillings. However, you will be better off with Tanzania Shillings for the shops surrounding.
Night 1&4: KanKari lodge – Located on the outskirts of Karatu town in the Ngorongoro Highlands, on the way to the Serengeti and on their last day on the way to Lake Manyara. The views here were amazing. Their lodge here was very spacious with a nice bathroom (shower, toilet, and double basin unit).
They also had a private decking area, and mosquito net in the room and on the windows. A very nice 4-course meal was included in the stay. Clean and spacious pool area. Securely gated accommodation. Friendly staff who make you feel welcome. The hotel accepts USD and Tanzania Shillings.
Night 2: Kon tiki – Located in Serengeti National Park, around 1.5 hours away from public campsites which meant more travelling but also more chances to spot other animals. Delicious food morning and evening, good choice of juices/water/tea and coffee. Luxurious tents furnished with a large bed, and private bathroom (shower, toilet, and wash basin). Great WiFi in all areas, friendly staff, and beautiful scenery. This accommodation is inside the Serengeti National Park and not fenced off which adds to the experience.
When they arrived there were several Thomson Gazelle in view of their tent. Each room is equipped with a walkie-talkie and flashlight. The staff were amazing and very helpful. The hotel accepts USD and Tanzania Shillings.
This is all that they saw whilst driving to pick the rest of their group up so don’t be put off by the extra travel. Also the accommodation was well worth the extra drive they said.
Grant gazelle
Thomson gazelle
Impalas
Zebras
Elephants
Giraffes
Hyenas
Ostrich
Jackals (This was their only sighting of Jackals)
Night 3: Ang’ata Ngorongoro Crater Camp
The Tripadvisor really does not do this place justice but apparently, it has moved locations. It is a Fantastic scenic location with Buffalo’s in the surrounding area so a good chance to spot one of the big 5. A very spacious tent complete with a queen-sized bed, sofa, and a good-sized washroom. The tent had its own shower, toilet, and basin unit. The staff were amazing, very polite, helpful and funny.
The staff went above and beyond to make their stay as comfortable as possible and even put hot water bottles in their bed for them. They got a very good brief on arrival of how things work at the camp, for example how to use the walkie-talkies for assistance. The hotel accepts USD and Tanzania Shillings.
Overall they were super impressed with the accommodation at every location and definitely weren’t expecting everywhere to be so modern, spacious, or comfortable. This was a mid-range tour so there are more budget-friendly options available.
Should you tip?
Tipping is greatly appreciated and shared equally between all the staff including the ground staff and people behind the scenes (They recommend $10pp per day and to the drivers too.)
Tanzania Safari, what can you expect to see?
Naturally, when going on an African Safari Tour there are some dream animals to tick off, for a Tanzania Safari during February the big 5 to see are Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Buffalo and Rhinos. My brother made a handy chart to let us know what they saw each day so you get a rough idea!
It’s safe to say after day 1 they were incredibly impressed. The Safari Guide joked that if you don’t see an elephant in the Tarangire you should get your money back because it is the home of elephants and there are so many!
Tarangire Day 1
Zebra
Wildebeest
Antelope
Gazelle
Giraffe
Elephant
Long tail monkey
Warthog
Thomson Gazelle
Lion
Baboon
Serengeti Day 2
Baboon
Elephant
Giraffe
Zebra
Wildebeest
Thomson gazelle
Hyena
Grant gazelle
Lions
Hippopotamus
Impalas
Serengeti Day 3
Grant gazelle
Thomson gazelle
Impalas
Zebras
Elephants
Giraffes
Hyenas
Ostrich
Jackal
Crocodile
Hippopotamus
Lions
Long tail Monkey
Baboons
Buffalo
Ngorongoro Crater Day 4
Buffalo
Zebra
Wildebeest
Warthog
Lion
Flamingo
Impala
Grant gazelle
Thomson gazelle
Elephant
Black Rhino
Common eland
Hippopotamus
Lake Manyara Day 5
Baboon
Blue monkey
Long tail monkey
Bush buck
Dik dik
Mongoose
Elephants
Leopard (3rd party)
Another Safari Tour saw a leopard and they saw via their camera screens as the vehicle was blocking the view, hence the 3rd party. Lake Manyara was the only place they didn’t absolutely love as it was very hard to see animals here after heavy rainfall a few years ago which has made some routes no longer accessible.
Mousebird Safaris Review
They’ve left a glowing review so I’ll summarise. There was great communication from the minute they booked answering any and all questions they had. The drivers are very experienced and careful, they did see some very dangerous driving from other tour guides but felt extremely safe with Mousebird Safaris.
The drivers were so knowledgeable and gave them lots of interesting information throughout the Safari. They were also really good at spotting animals which made for a great experience.
They said it was incredible value for money, with hot lunches provided every day (and the option of packed lunches from each of the places they stayed), lots of free bottled water and Coca-Cola for the heat, and such impressive accommodation. It was surprising just how good the WIFI was in these super remote places too.
All the staff at the lodges really went above and beyond to make it a super special experience every morning and night, from decorating the tables to super warm welcomes. One night it was a little colder and they found hot water bottles under their quilt whilst they were out enjoying the incredible food.
They said, all in all, it was an amazing experience and the perfect honeymoon they could have ever wished for.
Let us know if you found this helpful at all and what your favourite photo is in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out the rest of my travel section too!
