My husband and I are incredibly fortunate to get to travel to nice places a lot - he's a director and it's not an exaggeration to say we're often spoiled rotten when it comes to accommodations. Needless to say, we were both tearing up when it was time to leave Sayari because we had such an amazing experience. We both agreed that it was the best place we've ever stayed, hands down.
While Africa, in particular, is renowned for incredible service, the warmth, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail displayed by ALL the staff at Sayari, is truly unrivaled. We had so much fun talking with the team - Good Luck, Anderson, Sweedy, Jacinta, Ely - we'd be the last ones to bed every night. The whole crew surprised us one night with a song, dance and cake to celebrate our belated honeymoon... we were so shocked, we assumed it was someone's birthday. They introduced us to the tradition where they would keep singing until we have served everyone a piece of cake, and the whole moment was SO joyful and SO kind, it's something we'll remember forever.
As you can probably figure out by now, Sayari is really into the shared experience of safari - you have cocktail hour with the guests by the fire and gossip about your day, you sit at a long, communal farm table for dinner (the food is outstanding, and they are very careful to provide gluten free options & address people's dietary restrictions), and you get a ton of individual attention from the staff. But, if that's not your jam - they are also really great at carving out a more private experience that fits what you want to get out of safari. For example, we decided we wanted a private driver - it was no problem (with a small, totally reasonable fee). Guests had private dinners. You can also start your day whenever you like (in Botswana, we also stayed in high end luxury camps, and we were on a much stricter schedule). So - whatever kind of trip you desire - you're going to get it at Sayari. But you should hang out! Because they are all so great!
Onto the actual safari: the rumor is that all the guides want to work at Asilia camps in Tanzania because they have the best training, and it shows. We had Deo for one day and Grace for two days after deciding we wanted to go solo (usually you'll have one guide the whole time), and we were stunned by their mastery of all things safari related: animals, birds, plants, animals, terrain, driving, languages... all while being super attuned to what we wanted to achieve on safari. They are legit geniuses, who you still want to be your best friends because of their fun attitude.
One thing I didn't expect was getting to see so many BABIES in October, which made the wildlife viewing really spectacular. We saw a baby rhino, leopard cubs, lion cubs, elephants, giraffes... the cuteness overload was real. We also saw a MASSIVE, 5k+ migration of the wildabeasts, which feels like a scene right out of Braveheart. Of course, none of these animal sightings are guaranteed, but we felt like we had the best chance of seeing everything on the list with the help of our expert guides.
All the tents are fabulous - spacious, comfortable beds, a working space (but please, don't work), the most reliable wifi we had in Africa (shockingly), and great showers. We loved having coffee delivered each day and sitting on our front patio, looking out into the plains.
Anyhow, I gush! If you're considering Sayari, you should just pull the trigger and go.
It's the perfect place for all types - families, friends, solo, and of course, couples. We will definitely be back.
