GLADIOLA IS THE BEST !!We have rented safari vehicles in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Kenya, and this was by far our best experience to date. Incredible service, solid vehicle, great value.Didas was the mastermind helping us organize our trip from start to finish. He was always responsive, always easy to reach. He helped us with our flights, getting our PCR tests, and he found amazing places for us to stay, exactly where all the game was, and at a level above anything we could find ourselves on the internet. He also secured us pricing for accommodations much closer to what locals pay, which is a huge savings in African travel. Thanks to him we were able to enjoy true luxury accommodations for the price of a hotel in the US.Melkiory and Lucas were very attentive about organizing our permits and entrance fees, and everyone was immediately contactable from the road with any query. And we even ran into one of the Gladiola guides George while we were on the road and he was quick to offer his advice and insights to our chosen routes, even though we were not even his clients.The vehicle was very reliable and a pleasure to drive, with luxuries like a fridge, inverter, and double game viewing hatches.We cannot say enough good things about this company. Our only word of caution would be whether or not to use a guide. While the pictures may make it seem like it is easy to drive around the Serengeti and Lake Natron areas, they really should not be attempted on your own without a good foundation in 4x4. A road that is perfectly passable one day can become deep mud ruts the next, and the areas are truly remote. Out on the Namiri plains and in the heart of Loliondo, we did not see any other cars while driving. Not one. And there are no road signs anywhere, so you need a good sense of navigation. If you are missing any of these, we recommend you hire a driver to be safe.Having said that, if you know what you are doing, can follow GPS coordinates and know how to work your way around the maps.me app, then download your maps of Tanzania and get on the road!If you choose Gladiola, you wont regret it. They are simply the best.

Our experience with Gladiola Adventures was really good. The team was helpful, kind, and smiling. It was a pleasure renting the car from Gladiola and at a very competitive price! The car wasnt perfect but that is normal knowing we paid the cheapest price on the market. Yet it had everything we needed and the team was always available to support in case we had any issues (wherever you are). We would recommend booking your car with Gladiola and hope to get to travel with them again soon!

We rented the Land Cruiser crew cab pickup for a 4-day self-drive trip through the Northern Serengeti. The vehicle was in great shape, had everything we needed for camping, and Gladiola was very responsive. I highly recommend them if you are looking to rent a safari vehicle.

Unforgettable experience with Gladiola! I was looking for a reliable Rav4 rental in Arusha and Gladiola delivered exactly that.The car drove well and didn’t let us down on any roads (even challenging terrain inside both Lake Manyara and Tarangire NP), and we had a front row, self-drive seat to great game viewining. You can tell we weren’t the first to put it through its paces but that is as expected - overall in good condition and without any challenges on the road.The general arrangements with the Gladiola team were also easy and direct. I can recommend especially the pick-up and drop-off service which meant the car was waiting for us at Kilimanjaro Airport.The car itself contains information packs about Gladiola and helpful information/tools in case of breakdown. The entire team are very communicative and checked on us frequently to see how we were getting on!Overall, for anyone looking for a self-drive adventure and an ability to discover this beautiful country on their own terms and timelines, this is the only way!5 stars for all aspects, including value for money (price is good and our deposit paid in advance online was duly refunded at drop-off) and we will return. nashukuru sana!

We visited Tanzania in february for a month with our family with 2 children of 1 and 4 years old. We rented a Landcruiser with driver for a 11 day safari to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Lake Natron. After that we did a self drive from Arusha to Dar es Salaam in a Rav4. The cars were brought to the airport and our accommodation. They are not the newest but they are reliable and carefully looked after.The contact with Didas (and the other staff) was excellent. He responded very quickly on all our questions and was always available. Moreover he gave us useful suggestions for accommodation and the planning of our trip and he arranged 2 children seats free of charge.Special thanks to Dixon who was not only our driver, but also a great guide and great person.If you want to be flexible and plan your own trip in Tanzania we strongly recommend Gladiola adventures!

Many thanks to Didas and his team. We did a selfdrive safari last February with his agency and we were more than happy that we did. Didas has been nothing but unfailing to us. He spent a lot of time planning the safari day by day and we ended up following his suggestions to the letter because he was right. We were indeed planning way to much. He has also been very reactive when the car had a little defect. He replied to us immediately and sent someone to help us on a very short notice. So he is knowledgeable, helpful and reliable. No hesitation here!

We were asked for a 300 euro initial deposit that would be returned upon the return of the car. We did not receive the deposit back and even though almost 3 months have passed and we had numerous calls with them on the matter, there is still no change.

Great safari experience with Gladiola. Before arriving in Arusha we exchanged several emails with Didas who was very helpful on answering all our questions and assisting on designing our safari itinerary. We finally decided to do self driving for Tarangire and Manyara and hire a guide/driver for Ngorongoro (mandatory for the crater), Serengeti and Natron which at the end we really appreciated as driving in Northen Serengeti and Natron is quite challenging due to the bad condition of the roads and the lack of directions. When we arrived to Arusha we met with a member of the Gladiola team to pick up the car and book and pay for the entrance to the different parks. The Land Cruiser we got was old and lacked AC/stereo but strong and robust for the tough roads. It included pop-up roof for game viewing and a fridge. We had a couple of problems with the car at the beginning of the trip but Didas and the team did everything possible to fix them. After that everything worked fine for the rest of the trip. Our driver Stanley was very knowledgeable of the animals (especially birds!) and the different areas of the parks. He provided us with a great service. Overall it was a great value experience when comparing to other companies that offer closed packages and with the freedom of being able to choose your own itinerary and either self-drive or hire a guide/driver.

We rented two vehicles from Gladiola. We recommend them 100%. We have changed our plans several times, but they have always been very reactive and accommodating. Vehicles in good condition. We compared with several rental agencies in Arusha, we are very happy with our choice.

Gladiola Adventure Safaris with Mariki & Lalashe took me and a group of friends on an experience of a lifetime. Something none of us will ever forget. Personally it was my first time seeing all these African animals in the wild and both Mariki & Lalashe were extremely knowledgeable about all of the wildlife. Most of the time I didnt even have to ask the questions they would be explaining everything as we drove which just showed me how much they loved their job and teaching people about their amazing continent.We had a mission task of Driving from Nairobi, Kenya to Tanzania then onto Rwanda and Uganda back to Nairobi again. Completing a full circuit around lake Victoria traveling over 2000 miles in 4 weeks with our longest drive of 15 hours straight!! One moment that stood out for me was when I broke my laptop, which I needed for the film work we were doing during our trip. The guys went out of their way to help me resolve this issue and get me up and running again with a new computer in Kampala, Uganda.They are genuine top guys and now friends for life. I cant wait to get back out to Africa again for the next trip with them!!Will, United Kingdom.

We had very good experience with these guys. Very helpful and honest. We rent Land Cruiser for few days. It was not super new but works well. Thank you guys!

It has been a few months and I still havent received the initial deposit, despite the companys promise to do so.

We had a great experience with Gladiola Adventures!We took their offer of a car and guide for a family of 5, which allowed us great flexibility in planning and during the Safari - the guide was excellent and dealing with Gladiola was easy and honest.Highly recommended and we already referred friends and family to them!

I would highly recommend their services if you are in Tanzania and up for a safari.Our Guide George was very familiar with areas, where we had more chances to spot Wildlife.He made sure we got to see the big 5.Excellent service with well maintained Jeep and equipments. Didas is an amazing host and made sure we were safe and comfortable with our trip and kept in touch with us throughout via calls and whatsapp.Service : 5/5Equipments: 5/5Guide: 5/5Value for money: 5/5

We rented a Rav4 for self-drive for 10 days in February. Didas was great before, during and after answering my MANY questions. The car itself had a lot of mileage (200,000 km), but worked fine! There was free delivery of the car to our hotel in Arusha, we then left it at our hotel near the airport (for a fee). Our security deposit was refunded right away when the car was returned. During the time that we had the car we drove to Lake Manyara, Arusha park, Lake Diluti, coffee plantations near Moshi etc. We had planned to go to Lake Eyasi, but the roads were too difficult for us. In retrospect, it would have been better had we hired a driver/guide for at least half the time (for Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara), and then done the other part on our own. We rented the car in early February, after it had been raining a lot, and some of the roads were flooded and difficult for us. Having an experienced driver on hand would have allowed us to enjoy the trip more. However we strongly recommend the company.

One more time I have to say thank you to the whole Gladiola team. Before our trip even started Didas was the biggest support you can imagine. He didn`t only manage everything around the car, he also gave us a lot of good advice concerning our safari (national parks, fees, routes, housing, must-sees etc.). We were phoning few times and changing a lot of WhatsApp messages. Further we were so lucky having Elia at our side as our guide and driver. At the very beginning we considered a self drive safari but happily we changed our plan. Elia is such an friendly and thoughtful person but also a very professional guide who loves his job. Definitely our safari wouldn`t be the same without him. He knows everything about the wildlife of the Tanzanian national parks. Only because of him, we were able to catch up the big five and to see the beauty of this incredible country. Before I forget, our Toyota Land Cruiser was in a really good condition. Everything was working (fridge, socket, USB etc.).Dear Gladiola team, we will keep you in good memory forever!Best regards

I hired a vehicle from Galdiola for a self drive safari and the service and state of the vehicle was extremely poor - if google had negative stars I would use them.The vehicle had 450000km on the clock and had numerous mechanical issues that prevented me from driving most of the time.1. Handbrake not working, so have to park in gear and put a stone under tires every time I stopped.2. Hole in the petrol tank, so could not fill the main petrol tank to full capacity, which results in having to be near to filling stations.3. Battery terminal connection broken so always falling off and car just stops immediately.4. Bonnet not secure, so any speed over 50km or bumps on road leads the bonnet to fly up and completely block the drivers view - very dangerous. I had to tie the bonnet down but every time the terminal came loose it was a mission to untie and retie several times each day.5. Over heating would cause the car to stop and could not start, I would then have to request other safari vehicles to give me a tow to jump start.6. Windscreen wipers didnt work, so no driving in the rain, literally had to pull of on the side of the road to wait for rain to pass - it was the rainy season when i was in TZ!!!!Then the roof top tent supplied was too short for the vehicle so it could not be properly mounted and no steel rods to hold up the rain cover were provided so evey time it rained the tent got wet - so I ended up sleeping in the vehicle! You have to be really, really bad in service to not even get a roof top tent right!!!When I collected the car, I told them how disappointed I was with the car and requested a new vehicle, they said there is no other vehicle so I had to take the most unreliable vehicle I have ever driven. Not to mention all the problems stopped me from driving too much or too far. I missed Wildebeast crossing the Mara river. I could not stay at special campsites I booked because of unreliability, had to stay at public campsites for assistance from other drivers.Also the Serengeti part of my trip they forgot to book! SO i lost out on the special campsites I had booked and had to pay again (Gladiola did refund me) but whats the point of booking through a safari company if they dont even do the bookings?!?I have self driven Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia all with rentals and Gladiola was the worst company I have ever dealt with.DONT USE THIS COMPANY, THERE ARE WAY BETTER SAFARI COMPANIES TO USE!What I cant fault is the Serengeti, its incredible and a must see for any bush enthusiast.

We had the best time during our Safari thanks to Gladiola. A big thank you to our safari guide, who is now a good friend, George Everest. He is so knowledgable and educated us on various topics related to our safari. I would highly recommend their services if you are in Tanzania and up for a safari.

Went above to deliver the car to the hotel for just one day rental. Great tires, car was tuned well.They even came back to deliver my girlfriends bikini top that the car made fly off from having so much fun.

My experience was excellent. Fast communication, great service. I got my car directly to my accommodation. They were very willing.

Trusted local partners of our Travel Agency, with a deep know how and perfect costumer rapport. Didas and his team are your perfect company in Tanzania.

We were asked for a 300 euro initial deposit that would be returned upon the return of the car. We did not receive the deposit back and even though almost 3 months have passed and we had numerous calls with them on the matter, there is still no change.

Excellent company to trust when it comes to having a hassle free vacation! You will be taken care off from the time you arrive at the airport, even if your luggage arrives at mid night. Best service!

Perfect experience, the team was amazing! Lalashe is definitely the perfect guide, he knows everything about the safari! Ramadani is so great Cooker.. the food was delicious! Highly recommended!!

Good service, good stuff, professional driver and guide! I’m satisfied and highly recommend this company!

Brilliant cars and a brilliant service from the team !

Tanzania car hire company in Arusha

Couple of hiccups but they worked hard to remedy any problems.

Very reliable Company and a friendly owner

Excellent

Nice service

Nice cars

Disappointment due to our rude and unprofessional driver guide GeorgeGood points:-Good contact initially with the boss, Didas Dismas, who was able to organize a trip as we wished-Quick response to emails-Beautiful places visited-Beautiful animals photographed-Ability to find solutions quickly enough to repair the vehicle when necessary-We had to postpone our trip by 3 months for family reasons and it was done without any worriesNegative points:-During the exchanges of emails prior to the trip there were errors in the calculations, obviously in excess.-Mr Didas encouraged us to take a driver guide for our trip when we thought of doing it by self drive. We deeply regret it !!!-We had to feed the said driver guide during our entire trip, almost without ever a thank you, without ever helping with the preparation or the dishes!-Never help to load or unload luggage, nor to set up or take down the tent, except on the first day-Our guide George is very rude and not interested in his work or his clients. He spent 9 days on his phone calling or receiving and sending messages (in the car, in front of animals, driving, during meals, in his tent at night…).-The same George is a terrible ambassador for his country, nature protection and animal conservation. He got out of the car twice in national parks to pick up a turtle and take pictures with it. When we saw a rhino in the serengeti he said it was the most expensive animal. If you have one, you can be very rich thanks to its horn. We were outraged by his words !!! Further misinformation: There are few rhinos in Tanzania because South Africa takes them. This is absolutely wrong! And finally the icing on the cake when we saw a python in the park of Tarangire: if we pick it up we can sell it for $ 400. There again catastrophic remarks !!- This person has never been interested in us, our lives, our jobs. Dramatic.-The vehicle we had is poorly maintained, not overhauled. It was noisy as soon as we got in and it then took 2 garage stops which obviously took up our time in the national parks. Then an engine leak again demanded a shutdown, even if everything was repaired in less than two hours. No tools in the car other than a wrench and a crack.-We were entitled to a request for money (for the Ngonrogoro crater at $ 300 per person) when we had already settled everything before. Luckily I had everything printed out so the discussion quickly ended.-We also had to pay for the gas tank.In summary, a company to be avoided in my opinion due to the lack of ethics of the driver guide that we had.