Team Shemeji Safari Tanzania
Shemeji Safari Tanzania
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CA
Email Idel R | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Experience - Tour Operator Goes Above and Beyond
I had an incredible experience with Shemeji Safari. I was interested in a two-person camping safari as it fit better with my budget, and Shemeji had the most cost effective option right off the bat. I corresponded with Emma, who always responded to my emails and questions in a timely manner. We only had time for a 5-day safari, so Emma helped us customize the itinerary based on our timeline. She also helped us arrange transfers, hotel before and after the safari, and even arranged towels for us when we mentioned we would prefer not to bring them ourselves (we only had carry-on backpacks).
When we were on our way to Tanzania, we ended up taking an earlier flight to Kilimanjaro. Emma was able to help coordinate an earlier transfer to the hotel, and the driver was waiting for us at the airport. We were picked up promptly the next morning by Benny (guide) and Charles (cook). What I really appreciated was that Benny would always explain where we were going, what we were doing, and share his knowledge of Tanzania. I found this to be much better than other tour operators we encountered on our trip, as usually we wouldn't know what was going on until we arrived at the destination. Benny also made it clear up-front which animals were common and rare - we're not guaranteed to see everything, but he'll do his best.
Benny definitely did his best! Throughout the safari, he would allow us ample time to see the animals when we found them. He also quickly learned what animals we wanted to spend more time looking at, and which he can just drive by (but still point out). He seemed to have very good rapport with other drivers (he's been doing safari's for 18 years!) and would frequently communicate with them to learn where rare animals would be seen. He also wouldn't hesitate to drive across the park if he heard a rare animal sighting, just so we could see it! When not on game drives, he'd help set up the campsite for us, give us tips regarding when to shower to get warm water, how to deal with going to the bathroom in the night, and he was one of the only guides I saw who would actually have dinner with us and share his culture. It definitely made the experience much better.
Charles was an amazing cook. We joked that we ate better on safari than we did at home! When at the campsite for breakfast and dinner, we'd get an appetizer, main course, and dessert, and everything was delicious. His lunch boxes were also amazing - they always filled us up, and were different everyday. He'd also adjust meal times so that we wouldn't deal with the bugs that come out at night or so we'd miss the crowds after dinner. He also picked up a bottle of local wine for us on the last night to celebrate the fact that it was our honeymoon.
At the end of it all, we were exhausted, but we saw the Big 5, multiple cats, and many other animals. We actually ended up tipping double what we originally intended to just because Benny and Charles exceeded our expectations that much. To top it all off, Emma also personally followed up after the safari to make sure we had had a great experience. Because of all this, I recommend Shemeji Safari without hesitation! Thanks for the great experience!
NL
Email Anika en Ricardo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
amazing honeymoon trip!
we booked a 5 day honeymoon tour via Shemeji. The communication via email was good and fast. Our guide was really nice and tried to spot all the animals we wanted to see. Also we really felt like being on a honeymoon!:) we also booked a citytour and a daytour to Arusha and both tours were really nice as well!
SE
Email Anny | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very skilled as well as pleasant and easy to deal with.
The process of deciding the safaritour, Payment and other administration were very smoth and easy.
Out guide at the safari, Omari, were very skilled, friendly and really did the best for us. We saw more animals than expected as Omari knew where to find them and did not give up searching for them. Out great cook Godson serverad great meals every day.
The only thing that could have been better was the standard of the car.
We can highly recomend Shemeji.
CA
Email Carlos N | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience & incredibly accommodating
Had a great experience with Emma organizing and booking the safari. She offered advice and suggestions during the process that were incredibly useful.
Emma also helped me out while I was away and my girlfriend was there (I had a passport issue and had to rebook). Once I explained the situation Emma was great at communicating what our options were and helped me out with a separate airport pickup and transportation to meet my girlfriend after the first day of safari. Really put my mind at ease knowing everything was handled while I was fixing up my passport and travelling later on. Her flight from Far was also delayed 5+ hours and they really came through to make it easy and as stress free as possible.
The safari itself was amazing. We got to see the big 5 and so many more awesome animals. Our guide Adam was great really knowledgeable and good at spotting game. Also good with turning the car off as we took pictures which helps a lot when zoomed in. He was also just a great guy really easy to spend 5 days in car with him lol
Also because of my rebooking and my girlfriend's late flight they also helped us book pour transportation to lushoto while we were on safari. The bus tickets were waiting for us at our hotel in Arusha.
Can't say enough good things. Everything was exceptional.
CH
Email Brian W | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible! Trip of a lifetime. Omari was an incredible guide. Perfect.
Excellent. Omari was the best. He knew where animals were, found them quickly, took great care of us and was very kind. The tour couldn’t have been better. Great accommodations, and I never thought I’d see so many animals! I can’t recommend this tour enough. Tanzania was perfect and in October we found ourselves right in the middle of the wildebeest migration.
DE
Email Daniel & Vera | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
WOW! Great Company for an unforgettable Safari!
We had an unforgettable 5 day Safari (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro) with Shemeji! The communication was from the beginning very easy and straight forward. Everything turned out as promised and booked. The value for money was Top! Accommodations, car and the guide were great. Our guide was very experienced and had a great knowledge about the parks and the animals. He knew where to go without only following other cars and groups. So we had many magical moments just for us without too many people around and a special vibe for the whole Safari. We also were very flexible in arranging the days (getting up very early) and in the animals we wanted to focus on.
We just can recommend Shemeji at all - no wrong promises, great value for money and very easy going!
Email Poppy Thatcher | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well-organised and extemely enjoyable safari!
Shemeji were at all times extremely helpful in planning our safari trip. Our guide, Benny, was excellent; exceedingly knowledgeable, friendly, patient and we really felt he took us to the best places to see the animals away from the other safari trucks. The camps all worked really well and we enjoyed the variety and changing scenery of the trip. We couldn’t recommend Shemeji more for anyone looking to go on safari. They were excellent in every possible way.
CH
Email Simon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our first ever safari…. When can we go back!!
We have nothing to compare it to as it was our first. But we had an amazing time and experience. Emma at Shemeji was quick and took time to respond to our numerous silly questions, and the reply’s were always prompt. Largely gave us a tailored experience to our needs. The price we thought was fair and good value, it was in our budget, others didn’t seem to incorporate as much as our experience did, yet cost much more.
The choice of lodges the company uses are outstanding. Some the lodge itself made the experience, but I know 2 of the lodges we stayed at, were not only amazing, but the staff at the lodges really made that part of the experience stand out, in as much of our memories as the animals. Meeting the local people, being shown their hospitality and service they provided, and the warmth and friendship they showed us, gave a lasting memory.
Now the safari itself. I never think on topics like this its good for people to compare experiences, however, if I must, yes we saw the big 5! I think we just about saw everything. I cant think of an animal we didn’t see. Some were incredibly close, some quite far. Its wildlife, you cant plan it. As a young couple we loved our 5 day safari, in fact if anything we should of done 6 days so we would have had longer in Serengeti. I loved this holiday. I highly recommend firstly a safari, and secondly using Shemeji. The only down side we have, is now having to pick the best photos out of thousands of great photos to post on FB!
Email T&G | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful 7 day Safari
We had a wonderful 7 day safari private tour with Shemeji Safari. Everything exceeded our expectations. We were on a budget, but luxury-on-a budget is what we got. Our guide Edward was excellent, he suited our easy going style and made us feel like family. The food and accommodation was exceptional and we loved the hut and tented accommodation. All the arrangements appeared seamless to us, but we know that this is because of all the hard work that goes on from the start so a special thanks to Emma.
CA
Email Jonathan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip of a lifetime
We had an amazing 2 weeks in Tanzania thanks to Shemeji and their staff. From being greeted at the airport upon our arrival by Frank in Mt. Kilimanjaro to getting dropped off 2 weeks later in Zanzibar, we had full confidence in Shemeji.
- Emma was very accommodating during the booking process, we had a hundred questions since this was our first safari trip and she promptly answered every one. She also had no problem adapting the itinerary to our personal needs(including last minute flight changes). After everything was figured out, we couldn't believe how good of a deal the trip was.
- Edward is an incredible driver, and the best tour guide. He knows all the parks like the back of his hand and will find whatever animal you're looking for. He's also very knowledgeable about whatever you see -- birds, mammals, plants, etc. If he doesn't know what you spotted he'll eagerly look it up in a book to learn about it. He's also kind, funny and helpful. Which are all important since you'll be spending a lot of time with this person over the course of your trip.
- Godson is an amazing chef and fed us incredible vegan food every day for 3 meals a day. Having a dietary restriction had us a little concerned about a trip like this. But Godson had no problem with our vegan diet. He made delicious meals every day. Our only "problem" was that there was too much food. We were full at every meal. That was not what we expected from this trip and we loved it. He's also a sweet person and made for great company on the trip as well.
- Our accommodations were all great. From the campgrounds, to hotels and lodges. It was quite a sampling of different areas and types of places to stay in Tanzania.
We wandered Arusha, swam with dolphins in the Indian Ocean, got woken up by hyenas, and saw about 70 lions on safari(along with cheetahs, leopards, elephants and everything else we wanted to see!) while visiting 5 national parks and conservation areas.
Thanks Shemeji!