SMILE WITH US TOURS IN AFRICA 2024
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:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $490 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
US
Email Raag | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
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.
IE
Email Simona | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
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
IT
Email Marco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionalism and competence
Fantastic 5 night safari at Mikumi, Nyerere and Udzungwa Mountains parks with Smile with us.
The staff we communicated with for the organization was very helpful and prepared to accommodate our requests.
The guide Hassan speaks good Italian and managed our entire trip with great professionalism.
The driver was competent and professional.
The hotels we stayed at (Bastian Camp and Nyerere Tended camp) are quality hotels with great accommodations, exquisite cuisine and exceptional staff. The hotel inside the Mikumi park (Bandas camp) offers very simple accommodation and cuisine but still equipped with everything you need.
Doing this type of safari by car was fascinating because it allowed us to see and learn about many local realities.
Mikumi and Nyerere parks are smaller parks than those in the north but with the great advantage of a lower presence of tourists. Nyerere is still a rather authentic park! We spotted, even very closely, giraffes, antelopes, elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, hyenas and various birds.
The excursions to the Masai village, the safari boat and the trip to the Udzungwa Mountains were fantastic. Particular and curious is the walking safari of about two hours with Doctor Simba to discover the traditions linked to the different plants of the savannah.
In short, an INDIVIDUAL safari and not a group one, EXCEPTIONAL!
Congratulations Smile with us!
(automatic translation from Italian)
Email Joana | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great adventure!
We have done a 2 day safari at Nyerere Park and it was simply amazing!
Our guide, Mr Maarufu (Mr Famous) was the best! Always available to answer our questions, loads of knowledge about the animals and the areas and most of all, always funny! Made us feel comfortable since the beginning!
It was an adventure of a lifetime! Cannot recommend more!
Just amazing!
DE
Email Celine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fulfilling a lifelong dream
Dear team at "Smile with us",
My mom, my sister, and I had the pleasure of participating in a two-day safari organized by your company. I must say, we are absolutely thrilled! Our guide Murshid went above and beyond to provide us with the best possible safari experience, despite our limited time. His kindness and care made us feel safe and well taken care of throughout our journey. I cannot emphasize enough how grateful we are for that.
As German visitors, "Smile with us" helped us fulfill a lifelong dream, and we couldn't be happier. We are already planning to come back in the next few years - this time for a whole week! We are impressed by your ability to tailor individual trips according to customers' wishes. The fact that we had the entire vehicle and our guide exclusively for us made our stay even more enjoyable.
Thank you to the entire team at "Smile with us". You have made us overjoyed!
Warm regards,
Celine
Email Andy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing safari
From start to end the experience with Jacob and Smile With Us was brilliant. We'd never been on safari before but Jacob made it simple, suggesting a fantastic 6-day trip from Dar es Salaam to Selous and Mikumi national parks. Nothing was too much trouble.
On the day we started the wonderful driver and guide Omari showed up with a rugged Land Cruiser, which is just as well as there had been a lot of rain and the vehicle's 4-wheel drive was needed at times as we sloshed through deep mud and water. Throughout Omari was incredible. Really knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. He also has a deep respect and love for animals and wildlife, even to the extent of waiting for a column of soldier ants to cross the road in front of us. We saw elephants, lions, hippos, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, impala, warthogs, hyaena, zebra and loads of birds and other animals. Perhaps one of the highlights was seeing a huge crocodile eating a zebra on land right next to our vehicle while hordes of vultures waited to come in for their turn.
Omari always seemed to have a six sense when it came to finding interesting things to see. He was also one of the most friendly and sociable people I've met, always stopping to chat and exchange info with other drivers and park rangers, or helping change a tyre on another car.
The accommodation was good, and we never had to worry about food or water. There were long distances covered, especially driving between Selous and Mikumi, but for us that was part of the fun, and having the opportunity to see ordinary life across Tanzania.
The last night was our wedding anniversary and Jacob arranged for a group of Maasai warriors to sing and dance for us at dinner while delivering a cake. Truly special memories.
We can't recommend Smile With Us Tours enough. If you choose one company, choose this one.
SE
Email Miranda | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
Everything was as amazing! Our guide was really showing us the best of both parks (Tarangire & Ngorogoro) and gave us a lot of information. We saw 4/5 of "The big five", and a lot of other animals. He did his best to show us so many animals as possible. I can really recomend!
Email Saara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
We had an amazing 1 day safari with smile with us tours to Mikumi in December 2023. We were slightly unsure about the process but the team was great at communicating with us on WhatsApp and gave us all the tips and advice for the whole day. We had an early pick up by Mr Nurdin, who arrived on time to our villa. From there we caught a flight directly into Mikumi park where we were met with our guide Isaak who was absolutely fantastic. We had our own private open land rover, and Isaac knew exactly where to find the animals, what time to see them and we were also able to get really close to the majority of them. Even the lions who were walking right next to us in jeep. During the safari we were provided with fruit, juices and snacks and were well taken care of. We felt safe throughout the tour. Lunch was fantastic, lots of options and halal hot food. We made full use of our day there, seeing zebras, lions, lionesses, impala, water buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, many birds, giraffes and many other animals.
I would highly recommend this tour over the others as we had a much more personalised experience, flexibility in seeing the animals rather than following the other tour groups, and plenty of space in the car. The other tours appeared much busier and did not get as close to the animals.
Fantastic day, thank you to the whole team for creating such a great memory and experience for us!
ES
Email Mateja Olujic | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall great experience
We went to 2 days Mikumi and one day Udzungwa mountains and we really enjoyed it. Initially our itinerary was to do 1 day Mikumi and 2 days Neyrere but after the drive from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi took nearly 9 hours because of the traffic, we decided to change the plans and the operator was flexible. Communication was good, I guess the only area for improvement is to provide more precise communication a couple of days before the trip instead of the client reaching out with questions (for example, who will be our driver and their contact, where will they wait for us, how to pay for the rest, and other basics). In terms of value, it is definitely not cheap and the safari vehicle was somewhat old, but the accommodation and food during the trip was good. Smile with us tours actually offered the most competitive price in relation to others (I got nearly 10 quotes from different operators). Overall, it was a good experience and would definitely repeat doing safari again.
DE
Email Anja & Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Job! Unforgettable Experience!
It was a very special experience! Henry is a super friendly, pleasant guide with whom we were able to learn and laugh a lot, the car was well maintained and in good condition, we will never forget these 6 days. The safari exceeded our expectations. Everything was organized smoothly, always enough to drink and eat, as well as the opportunity to coordinate the process individually.
Asante
