Thomson Safaris

Our experience with Thomson Safaris was simply amazing! From our first interactions with the management team to making our final flight connections, we received the best care. The staff at every camp was so amazing, taking care of our every need. The food was so good, especially the soups! I want to give a special shout out to our guide, Remi. He took wonderful care of us, and his animal spotting skills were amazing! We got to see all of the Big 5! He also gave us so much interesting information about the animals. Thomson Safaris gave us the trip of a lifetime!

We searched for over two years reviewing various tour groups for African Safaris. When we discovered Thomson it had all the criteria we were seeking. From our first phone call to the completion of our travels, Thomson exceeded our expectations. Lewis in the front office was very knowledgeable, answering of our questions and explaining different tours they offered. After booking the Grand Safari tour, we were contacted by our “trip manager”, Cat. She was amazing! She kept us informed of the timeline related activities when we needed to take actions. Her correspondence included helpful documents and links to helpful resources. When we had questions for Cat, she had the answers or typically got back to us with responses on the same day. Her excellent customer service is what we expect but rarely receive from businesses these days. The travel plans included transfers and timelines that took place just as expected. Once the safari began, we met our safari guides, Babu and Ashein after a short flight from Arushia. They were very knowledgeable, cordial, and a joy to be with over our two weeks on tour. Overall, all of our encounters with Thomson personnel were very positive. We definitely recommend considering them for your safari.

What an experience. Beautiful vistas, lots of animals (including babies), great guides, very comfortable accommodations all made for the perfect vacations. We missed the rhinos but saw the land great migration. The hot air balloon ride was stunning with a beautiful sunrise

Just returned from a 13 day Grand Safari and no words can describe the experience, emotions and feelings for Thomson Safaris and the wonderful treatment provided by all. From the arrival and pick up at the airport to the final drop off, the experience was top notch!! Food was amazing and they were able accommodate all my requests for gluten free food (have Celiac Disease and never got sick). Tents were great! Showers were hot! Camp staff was friendly and wonderful…especially Patrick, IDD, Rose and Hussein. The guides, Robert and Moudy, were knowledgeable, funny, and made the entire experience magical. Robert and Moudy were the best part of the Safari and always looked forward to the days activities. Highly recommend Thomson Safaris. You will not be disappointed!

We had an amazing trip with Thomson and loved every minute. The trip was meticulously planned keeping in mind what we wanted from the safari. The camps/nyumbas/food all exceeded our expectations. As did the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater! Every person working for Thomson worked hard to make sure you had everything you needed and did so as quickly as possible. It was impressive. Kind, proud, wonderful people who work so hard for their clients. Our guide Sefh was OUTSTANDING! We feel like we won the jackpot with him. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy made every day better than the one before. He made sure we had the trip of a lifetime and got to see and appreciate the animals, birds and Serengeti as a whole. He made every day fun for us as well. He always asking for our input. If you are planning a safari we would highly recommend Thomson and Sefh. We'd go back tomorrow if we could and plan it to make sure Sefh was our guide!

This was our 5th African safari, and although we enjoyed it, and Bibbs Farm was lovely, we did not go to Africa again to be at a lovely farm. We would have much preferred spending the time in a tent (which are now very nice with flush toilets) than at Bibbs Farm. We learned on the trip that Thompson's does, or has owned Bibbs Farm. Though a convenient location for visiting inside the Ngorogoro Crater, it was not the safari experience we wanted. Also, I would recommend to anyone wishing to go to Africa to go during the migration between Tanzania and Botswana, and hopefully also experience that migration in either a hot air balloon or small plane.

One of the most exhilarating, humble, heartfelt and memorable experiences of our lifetime! My husband and I were on the “ULTIMATE SAFARI” during Sept/Oct 2024. From beginning to end, the adventure exceeded our expectations. The camps were rustic, beautiful and comfortable. The food was fresh… delicious and farm to table (Gibbs farm). The service and Thomson staff, including our guides, Freddie and Simon, were professional, friendly, eager to please and just overall amazing! Our animal viewing was abundant and spectacular…the highlight being the wildebeest crossing the Mara river… YES WE WITNESS IT!!! Worth every penny.

Let me make this simple, “You can pay more but you won’t get better!” My wife suggested I go with my two sons as a bucket list item for myself so I spent a significant amount of time researching several safari companies to ensure we got the best experience possible. I can say Thomson exceeded my expectations. Since this has been my only Safari I will summarize the highlights made by our group at the conclusion of our Safari. Our group was “right-sized”. There were 9 individuals in our group and had two vehicles, perfect for ensuring everyone had easy access for viewing/picture taking. Schedules were perfectly balanced. Had the right amount of time to pursue the Big Five while at the same time had adequate time to reflect on the experience within our group and share stories with others staying at the camp. By the way, we DID see the Big Five, our guides were fantastic, knowledgeable, and could spot game far earlier than most anyone in the group. Don’t pass on the optional balloon Safari ride, could not have been more satisfied with it. Both sons thought it should be added as part of the program rather than an option, they enjoyed it that much. They thought too many people were missing one of the top experiences. Two other items that make Thomson stand apart from the rest. They have a privately owned 10,000 acre reserve that only Thomson safaris have access to. While there we saw giraffe, zebras, elephants, wildebeest, etc. The second item setting Thomson apart is that the facilities we stayed at were owned/operated solely by Thomson and no other safari companies use the facilities. I believe this to be unique to most all other camping facilities. If I were to refer back to my opening statement, you may get something more by paying more, but I personally don’t think it would make the experience any more enjoyable or comfortable. Our group of 9 was unanimous that any additional creature comforts would not have been worth the value, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience from arrival to departure. Our entire group would use Thomson without reservation for any future services we desired they were to offer.