Union of Mainland and Zanzibar

Tanzania achieved its independence in 1961 under the leadership of Julius Nyerere, its first President.

A Complex Arrangement

There was economic investment from the Scandinavian countries, China and Russia but little support from the western economies. In 1964 the islands of Zanzibar joined the mainland and the country officially became known at the United Republic of Tanzania. The union of the mainland and Zanzibar is a complex arrangement with each having some autonomy but being under one flag.

Reviews From Visitors

Bucket List. The friend I traveled with on this adventure has been my friend for 55 years. This was her number 1 item on her bucket list. When I told her I would go.....she started planning. Within 15 or so months......we were off. And I couldn't be happier.

The camps we stayed at were all top notch. The food was great and very abundant (even the breakfast and lunches we ate on the road). I don't eat that well at home. The pancakes at Sametu were the best I have ever eaten.

We couldn't have done this without the help of Lynn's planning expertise. She helped us every step of the way. Giving tips and making sure that we stayed on task. I feel like I have made a friend. She was fantastic. Our safari was specifically planned for us. We decided what we wanted to see and Lynn helped us plan this perfect trip.

When Joseph and Ester came to go over the trip with us in Arusha, I knew it was going to be wonderful. They explained everything that would happen at each camp so there would be no surprised. And Joseph met us at the end and made sure that we had gotten through to the gate at the airport. Unique Safari was with us from the first minute in Arusha to the last. This was very comforting. I am a person who likes to plan ahead and have everything ready. I never had to worry about anything....they did it for me.

Now to talk about our guide FAZAL. Words cannot express what an adventure he gave us. He asked what we wanted each day, and our response was always "You're the expert you tell us". And we are so happy we did. I can tell you that we saw some amazing things. Actually every night, I asked him how he was going to top that tomorrow. My advice to anyone planning a safari would be to trust the people who are the experts. Fazal taught us not to rush through any experience. Sometime you have to wait to see the best part of an animal.

I was very excited to go on this Safari but it was 100% more than I expected, The saddest part of this trip was when we said good bye to Fazal at the airport. There were definitely tears.

Unique Safari is the complete package HANDS DOWN!!

This trip was postponed due to, well you know. It was well worth the wait. Unique Safaris was top notch and the Guides, Russell, Shedrack and Fazal were knowledgeable, funny and willing to help us get the best experience and the best photos every day. They even helped me learn firsthand about some of the local flora (don't step on these). Our camps and their staffs were excellent and the people of Tanzania were friendly and helpful. You will not be disappointed using Unique for your safari needs also they are a locally owned company so you will help support their economy and businesses.

Traveling the world in a pandemic can be tricky but Meg K. of Unique Safaris did a wonderful job helping us in our safari travel to Tanzania. She kept us up to date on all of the requirements and gave us links to the forms that were needed. She arranged for our covid test prior to leaving Tanzania. She got us a service that whisked us through covid testing, immigration, and customs at the airport. On Safari, all of the camp staff not only went out of the way to make us comfortable but were very conscientious about all of the covid requirements. The highest praise has to go to our guide, Ellison. He got us into position for many a great photograph and didn’t complain when we asked him to move a foot or two so that we got a cleaner image. He was very knowledgeable about where the animals could be found, so we were treated to baby hippos, lion cub, leopard cubs, cheetah cubs, and a myriad of young antelope and zebra. The Mara River crossings were more spectacular than the Great Migration that we saw when we went to Tanzania March 2020. Photographically it was the best photo tour we had ever been on, totally Unique.

Absolutely the best vacation we have ever taken!!!!!! Lynn is what makes this trip so incredible! Her attention to every detail in planning the experience you want, her communication with you is impeccable! I truly cannot thank her enough! Once we arrived - all the planning Lynn mapped out for us, just played out more amazing then we could of ever imagined. Our guide, Russell was outstanding! He was kind, considerate, and so knowledgeable about every single question we asked him. And we asked a lot of questions!!! He really knew the area, animals, and the culture, etc. All the tented camps, food, transfers, and every detail is taken care of by Lynn. We simply showed up and had the most amazing trip of our lives!!! We are already planning a return very soon, Lynn and Unique Safari will be helping us again!!!

I am a US based photo safari workshop leader and to say Unique Safaris provided me and my clients the ultimate luxury safari experience would be an understatement!!! Top that with highly knowledgeable safari guides and it makes for an unforgettable experience. Meg helped me choose my camps based on my needs and boy were they a home run. I couldn't say more about how friendly and accommodating the staff was at each location during the two weeks. Absolutely top service from top to bottom with the Tanzanian staff, guides. and people as a whole absolutely warm and inviting. Looking forward to my return in 2022 and beyond!

If you are considering going on that "once in a lifetime" trip to Tanzania, do yourself a favor and use Unique Safaris. I travel a LOT and Unique is a company that can be trusted and they will make sure your trip is fabulous. I just returned from a 2 week safari and I can't say enough good things about the drivers and camp staff. There were 11 of us on this trip and everyone had a great experience. The tears and hugs when we left our drivers at the airport to go home said it all.

I wanted to take my daughter on safari as her graduation gift, but also wanted a strong focus on the photographic element as a photographer. Yes, I shopped other safari companies too. Lynn at Unique safaris did an amazing job of putting together a custom trip which included cultural activities, balloon rides, and the best game viewing opportunities ever. I made the right choice and am so grateful I did.
The staff in Arusha matched us with a guide based on all the info we had provided. Bernard proved to the best guide we could have asked for. He took his job and professional responsibilities very seriously, and yet was able to join in the fun, banter and laughs. The lodging chosen was superb and the food unbelievable good; both roast duck and lamb on New Year's Eve-and we were hours out in the bush. The attention to detail from Lynn in trip preparation, availability and quick response to questions as well as the follow-through on those promises by the Arusha staff make this unquestionable the safari company of choice.

My wife and I just returned from our safari in the Serengeti with Unique Safaris. Ally, our guide, was fantastic in locating animals and birds during our trip. He was able to drive to locations that other guides would NOT attempt due to it being the wet season and some of the roads (basically dirt tracks through the Serengeti) were covered with water and had terrible holes that you could not see until you hit them. The difference with Unique is they use Mud Terrain tires not All Terrain tires like the other safari companies. Other companies stay on the main roads so you see the animals 100 yards away with 15 vehicles parked on the road while we were able to go to more isolated areas and get up close to the animals. Up close being lunch with a large price of lions and 5 lion brothers s walking by our vehicle and hitting it with their tails. We were able to see everything that we had on our wish list as well as gain a better appreciation for the birds in the Serengeti.

We stayed in tents while we were there so the animals were VERY close. The animals can get noisy at night so be prepared to wake up occasionally. One morning we woke up to the sounds of 8 lions taking down a wildebeest about 50 yards from our tent. Our guide had to pick us up for breakfast that morning in our vehicle since the lions were so close. When you stay in the tents you will need someone from the camp to walk with you when it is dark. Also as a treat Ally arranged for us to meet with a Project Cheetah expert researcher who gave us a much better insight into the amazing animal.

I usually do not write reviews but the difference in companies is significant. If you want to see a few animals with the crowds then Unique is not for you. If you do not mind getting bounced around in the vehicle to get to isolated areas and truly experience the Serengeti then Unique is your best option.

Meg did a good job working with us to get within our budget. I would recommend working with her to get within your budget rather than settling for a less expensive nondescript safari.

This was truly an exceptional once in a lifetime experience and Unique Safaris made all the difference. We also met the owner while on safari, and Ali was engaging and made us feel very welcome.

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Union of Mainland and Zanzibar

A Complex Arrangement

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