$638 to $666 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateThis Tour Is Offered By
Smile With Us Tours In Africa
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
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TZ
Smile With Us Tours in Africa was created upon the following motto: " Every safari is a different one. Be fair, be flexible, be good - Every single time.". Having said that, we specialize in designing safari itineraries that have fair prices, while not compromising on quality. If you can not afford a lodge safari, it does not mean your experience will be less interesting.
Reviews160
Fantastic
From the absolute start we were treated exceptionally.
Our driver Abduhl was very prompt and couldn’t have been nicer
The flight over was amazing and once we arrived at the park the same treatment resumed
Our guide Kennedy and our driver Dula were an amazing duo! We managed to spot so many animals and Kennedy was on hand to give us information about them. His knowledge of the whole savanna was incredible. I’d give this tour 100 stars if I could.
A very competent, knowledgeable and professional team
Excellent safari experience with Smile With Us. Everything went well, a very competent, knowledgeable and professional team with a lot of empathy for us. We always feel safe and accompanied. Very happy with this Safari. I recommend Smile With Us. Congratulations and continue your work showing Africa and defending the environment and animals.
Excellent Organization
We are a family of 4 adults with 3 kids from 9,6,3 and all was perfectly organized from our arrival in Dar to Safari to our resort in Zanzibar - the kids and my daughter really enjoyed the Safari as was their first time - excellent
Prompt, reliable, responsive, and great value for money
My family recently (July 2024) completed a 14 day safari in Tanzania (plus a couple of pre & post days in Arusha and Dar Es Salaam). Of these, 7 days were in the North (covering Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro), and the remaining 7 days were in the South (covering Nyerere, Mikumi and Ruaha). It also included a couple of flights within Tanzania. The entire trip was arranged with the help of ‘Smile With Us Tours In Africa’, and I have nothing but nice things to say about them. All planning, booking, payments, etc. were centrally coordinated by Jacob, who has been absolutely wonderful!
I started by requesting an itinerary from Jacob. He was prompt, and the itinerary he shared covered all the parks I wanted to visit. I worked with him closely to fine-tune the number of nights in each park, change specific camps / lodges, and add extra activities like walking safaris and night safaris. This took several iterations, and Jacob was always very prompt in sharing the revised itinerary. I was working with a couple of other providers as well, and Smile’s quote was the best for the itinerary I wanted. Once everything was to my satisfaction, I finally booked the safari with him in July 2023 by paying 30% of the cost in advance (with the remaining due a few days before the start date).
Considering the amount involved ran into 1000s of dollars, I was apprehensive about the advance as well as the final payment. After all, I would be paying the whole amount before the safari had even started! What if Smile couldn’t deliver, or if things went wrong? Fortunately, my apprehensions proved to be completely unfounded!
From booking till the beginning of the safari, Jacob kept me informed periodically about the progress regarding hotel bookings, flight bookings, etc. He was also very responsive whenever I had any question – he typically responded within a few hours of my email, which was amazing considering the time difference of 7 hours between the US and Tanzania! A few days before the start of the safari, he also shared his local contact numbers as well as the contact number of the guide assigned to me.
Once my trip started, the execution by Smile / Jacob was flawless. All airport pickups and drop-offs were on time, and the guides / drivers assigned to me were pleasant, welcoming and knowledgeable. The camps / lodges were excellent, and the 4x4 Land Cruisers assigned to us both in the North & South circuit were in excellent condition with comfortable seating, a built-in fridge and outlets for charging.
I firmly believe that the true test of any organizer is when things go wrong, and Smile / Jacob shined there as well.
We had 2 nights booked in a lodge in Nyerere (Nyerere Tented Camp). When we reached there, it had a lot of things that ticked us off: the atmosphere was not at all welcoming, it had hygiene issues, and it had geckos – lots of them! Having geckos on the walls is one thing - this place had so many crawling on the floor of the restaurant!! I brought this up with Jacob, and he immediately found an alternate accommodation for the second night – and this was during the high season!
Another instance of making things right was when our Land Cruiser broke down on the last day (which is not a reflection on the condition of the vehicle – the best of vehicles break down in the tough conditions of these parks!). Jacob worked with our lodge, and arranged a game drive through them to make sure that our experience didn’t suffer and we ended our trip on a happy note!
All in all, I had a very positive experience with Smile / Jacob from the beginning of the planning to the end of the trip. I would not hesitate to utilize their services again, and whole-heartedly recommend them!
A special shout-out to our guide Salum Msese (aka Salim) – he was absolutely wonderful, and went above and beyond several times in the 7 days we spent with him on the Southern circuit. Just to give an example: We had a day full of driving (Nyerere to Mikumi that took 9 hours), followed by a night game drive (3.5 hours) - and he did it with a smile, without any hint of tiredness. The next day, he did an early game drive and then another long drive (Mikumi to Ruaha that took 7 hours) - and this was after only 4 hours of sleep! Salum was always eager to show us as many animals as possible, and took every effort to ensure this – he followed lion footprints, spoke with other guides, and made sure we had the best possible experience.
Above our expectations!
We couldn't have asked for a batter experience in Tanzania!
Smile with us gave us the best support and value for money that people can find in the market.
Extremely punctual and friendly, our driver Salum met us at the airport first thing in the morning when we arrived and throughout the week he was able to accommodate every single request.
From the beginning the planning process was simple and straightforward and we always got quick responses by email when needed.
Thank you very much for all your hard work and effort,
Asante Sana!
Simona&Davide
Other Safaris & Tours53 – Offered by Smile With Us Tours In Africa
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3-Day Mikumi & Udzungwa NP by Train from Dar Es Salaam
$627 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
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4-Day Shared Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
$979 to $1,045 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetCamping & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Arusha (End)
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3-Day Nyerere NP (Selous GR) Boat and Walking Tour
$726 to $748 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
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3-Day Ngorongoro Ndutu Calving Safari Sharing
$1,309 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Ndutu (Southern Serengeti NP), Arusha (End)
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5-Day Mikumi NP' (Overnight in the Park) + Nyerere NP
$1,067 to $1,089 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
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3-Day Mikumi' National Park with Maasai Traditional
$649 to $660 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge & Cottage
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)