Serengeti Wakanda Team
Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
- Offices In:
-
France
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,500 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
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Email Bruno | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Attention to details
Best tour operators hands down! Starting with answering all of our questions prior to booking and always available for advice on how to prepare for the trip. Communications directly from the owner Bartho, who was always reassuring and also showed up several times during the trip to ensure our satisfaction.
Our tour guide Praise was very informative and gave us a fun safe drive throughout the tour. Last but not the least was our wonderful cook, Machete who consistently delivered some of the best meals we had throughout our entire visit to Tanzania! Yes we did notice other tours providing sandwiches to their clients while we’re eating like we are in highly rated restaurant.
Look no further, this is the company to book with. You will not be disappointed.
DE
Email Tim & Hannah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Most Amazing Tour Operator EVER
We had an amazing safari and since we know how other tours can be, we are MORE than happy that HAMSA was our guide. He was always very helpful, friendly, on-time and very hard working. He really knows everything about wildlife and with his great ability to spot animals could show us all big 5 and so much more! 5/5 Guide!!
We were also really lucky to have DULLA as our cook. Normally you get boring and very dry lunchboxes, but he and his assistent cooked food 3 times a day for us! He was very hard working and even on the campsite we had for dinner always a 3 cours menu- and that for vegans, vegetarians, meat-eaters and gluten-free ones. It was always VERY delicious!
So all in all its the best team you can imagine for a safari! I would always go with them again. 5/5 easy!!
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Email Rob M. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Overall Travel Experience of Our Lives - And we have been everywhere!
For those of you who don't like long reviews, Ill make a short synopsis first. Wakanda has the BEST safari guide that any company could offer, his name is ANDREW. He was born IN SEREGETI (Not near it, in it) and he grew up there, he can speak English, French, Swahili, and Ma (Maasai Language). Wakanda has Andrew, Wakanda has great chefs, support staff, and vehicles. Nothing was left to chance, Wakanda is thorough. Everything was perfect, ask for Andrew and you will have the best experience of your life. IN SHORT, BOOK WITH WAKANDA!!!.....And ask for ANDREW!
WHY IS WAKANDA THE BEST CHOICE (MY OPINION):
The company as a whole is great, but the short answer to this is …ANDREW! While there can be many factors to consider about a safari, the guide is certainly the most important. Do not leave this to chance. Andrew was born and raised in Serengeti. Not near Serengeti, in Serengeti. His father was the Chief of the park, and he lived and grew up there. Furthermore, his father was Maasai. (These are the only indigenous people which you will still find in the area living by their traditional culture) Andrew has the unique ability to speak their language and also can provide a very interesting history and background about the Maasai and their significant influence and presence on the region and wildlife. This background and knowledge which Andrew provided very much enhanced the overall experience, and gave us a much greater understanding and appreciation for the region. The Maasai themselves are an interesting people and were an unexpected "bonus" on this journey. Due to Andrews knowledge of the area, we were able to see all of the Big 5, including the very rare Black Rhino, additionally we saw the Wildebeest migration, and witnessed the crossing of the Mara river not once, but twice in one day. And we had front row seats on the south side of the river where the wildebeests were jumping in. Also, because of Andrew, we were able to have campfires in the parks. He knows many of the rangers and assistants in the parks, and was able to arrange for firewood and campfire, which sounds like a small task, but in the middle of nowhere, you have no options. For us it was a big deal to have campfires each night, we though for sure this would be something which every company included, but in fact none of them do. And we were the only ones who had a fire each night, and Andrew was the only reason that was possible.
WHY WE BOOKED WITH WAKANDA:
We booked this trip without knowing anything about safaris, and also had never been on safari before. I based my decision on reviews. I contacted the owner of Wakanda directly on WhatsApp, and his responsiveness, and the fact that I was speaking directly to the company owner was the reason I decided to book with them. It seemed that there are many 3rd parties out there selling safaris, and I just did not feel comfortable booking a safari that way. I suggest you to contact Wakanda directly as I did and get all of your information first hand. But I can assure you that if you book with Wakanda you will have a smoother journey.
SUGGESTED LENGTH OF SAFARI:
We booked 5 nights and 6 days. The length of your safari I think is inconsequential to the success of your safari. Nature is nature. Unpredictable. We saw everything and more than we could imagine. Big 5 included, which meant we saw the extremely rare Black rhino. I suggest no less than 4 nights. For us we were very satisfied with 5 nights and 6 days, 1 more night probably would have been perfect for us, but anymore than a week I think is a bit much.
WHERE TO GO:
We visited Tarangire (1 day), Serengeti(3 night, 4 days), and Ngorongoro(1 night, 1 day). All of them were great, but especially central Serengeti. I think where to go should be decided by your guide. Just wanted to share my experience.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE:
#1. BOOK A PRIVATE SAFARI! You are going on a long plane ride(s) to Africa (Took us 29 hours traveling from New York) to go on a safari and you want the best possible experience. You can save a lot of money by joining a group safari, but you are really cheating yourself. For the best experience you need a private safari. Here is why: If you book a private safari, your guide is free to take you where he pleases to give you the best possible experience. If conditions change during the trip, then so can your itinerary. You have freedom to do what you want when you want. As we are novices, we let Wakanda decide our itinerary, and I believe this was the main reason (besides ANDREW) for having such a successful and enjoyable experience. If you book a group safari, the guide must follow a preset itinerary, as this is what was promised to everyone. The safari cars hold 6 people, and so it can become a bit crowded if you are joining a group. Also, you could easily be with 5 strangers, each person having their own expectations and consideration for their safari. Its a bit much for even the best guide to satisfy everyone, and if there are interpersonal conflicts, it could be a stressful and downright unpleasant experience. This has nothing to do with the company you book with, this is just the nature of a group safari. If you book private safari, you avoid all the unnecessary obstacles associated with group safaris, and will ensure yourself a much more enjoyable experience. For our trip, it was just myself and my girlfriend. It was really nice to have all the extra space in the car to move around and get different views. It was nice to sit where we wanted when we wanted. There was more than adequate space for our things.
#2. SKIP BREAKFAST ANS GET OUT INTO THE PARK AT 6AM, you are not on safari to eat, you are on safari to see nature. Honestly the food was the biggest surprise for us. We knew we would have meals provided, but we did not expect the level of service we received. We had a private chef and this was just included at no extra cost. He prepared 3 meals a day. Not boxed lunched, but extensive 3 or 4 course meals 3 times a day. Everything prepared fresh. He even baked fresh bread in a "bush oven". So, the food is absolutely amazing. BUT....Skip breakfast and get out of the camp early. You cant leave earlier than 6am. But you should leave at 6am. The chef will make you what you want when you want. We just asked for coffee and tea at 530 so we could be in the truck and gone by am. Being the first on the road gives you the best chance to see everything first and get the best spot for photos and observation. Also we noticed there are certain animals which you will only see in the early hours of the morning. Hyenas in particular. Our experiences in the early mornings were usually the best part of the trip. Amazing sunrises and amazing wildlife, and first truck to see what the night brought us.
#3. BOOK A CAMPING SAFARI. The hotels and luxury accommodations are insanely priced. Their food is not as good, and you don't get to be in nature. We went and a camping safari, and i think its the only way to do it. Every night we camped in the park on the public sites. Fresh meals were prepared, we had a campfire, and an amazing unspoiled views of the night sky filled with star I was never able to see before. One night we had an elephant pass in front of our tent, a huge Male. It was amazing. He stuck his head down, and peaked in and then went on his way. You could never have such an encounter in a hotel. I think the safari experience is enhanced with camping and wouldn't do it any other way. If you are thinking about spending thousands on luxury , don't. And probably don't go on safari either. The point is to experience nature and safari is the best way to do it.
#4. DO NOT COME WITH EXPECTATIONS. Nature is just that....NATURE. It is unpredictable. Telling your guide what you want to see is not going to help you see anything. Your guide will always do his best, its his job, but he can not make animals appear. We didn't request to see anything, we just let Andrew take us where he felt like going and allow dhime to use his knowledge as a guide. We saw everything and more. I can promise you that you will see everything or anything, and neither can any guide. Don't put pressure on yourself or on your guides to see certain animals. Just sit back and relax and you will have an amazing experience. ALL of these animals are there. The parks are amazing. There are animals all over the place. Don't ruin your experience with expectations. Be appreciative of what mother nature shows you, and leave what you don't see as a reason to return. The plant life and the birds are enough to impress anyone, without the animals. These park are just incredible. If you go on safari, you will love it regardless of what you see, as long as you have the right attitude.
#5. BOOK WAKANDA AND ASK FOR ANDREW - Self explanatory
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Email A dream. I would repeat with them! | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
Everything was great. We were 3 friends doing the 6 days long safari (Tarangine, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara). Totally worthy and extremely compei.
We were a bit worried about the camp but they gave us comfortable mattress and warm sleeping bags.
The food: incredible. The Chefs (Dula & Elisabeth) cooked delicious meals every day, also for vegetarians and gluten free. To have a nice warm meal rather than a sandwich for 6 days was very nice.
We felt very safe with our driver (Felix). He is also very nice.
important: Locally own company!!!!
CZ
Email Nadya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ratings 6/5!! Beyond the Worth of Money Paid!
First of all the communication with Bartho was very easy, clear, transparent, and helpful before our departure. We were picked and dropped at our hotel. The vehicle is nice and fully equipped with drinks and fast wifi, very comfy though I went for a 5 day safari budget package. Our driver Noel was just amazing. He drove safely and even went further miles to make sure we saw all the animals especially when there was a cheetah hunting in the middle of Serengeti Plains! He was also fun with his African safari musics! And one of best parts was also the FOOD. We got a wonderful chef onboard, Ashraf. He made fresh bread from the scratch in the middle of the jungle and bake it in traditional oven. The food was always with appetizer (amazing soups!), main course (super tasty meat), and dessert! Like in the middle of jungle and you got served all that for 3 times a day! I saw many other, if not most of all—like 18/20 of other tours, only provided their guests with only sandwiches in a box. This tour is just beyond amazing and to be honest I felt like they should chatge for for such excellent service haha but they stay lowkey I guess. And plus, from many tours that owned by foreigners, this is owned by a young friendly local Tanzanian, Bartho himself! :D
Smoothly
My friend and I did the 5 day budget camping trip and we absolutely loved Serengeti and Ngorongoro the most! Lots of animals to see. So I would highly recommend these parks. This company is also amazing, everything was organized and ran smoothly. Everyone we encountered was so friendly including our guide Louis and our chef Suli. The food btw was delicious!! Such a great trip!
FR
Email Jean | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best ratio quality price I've seen
We booked with Wakanda for a 6 days safari - the experience was incredible from beginning to the end.
Hamza was a super guide, always with a smile and a kindest person. We could learn a lot from him about the wildlife.
The food was of an impressive great quality also.
Best ratio quality / price I've seen when travelling.
Strongly recommend.
Email Hannah & Alex | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip of a lifetime thanks to Serengeti Wakanda tours and it's incredible team of people!
I couldn't recommend Serengeti Wakanda tours highly enough. From start to finish we were provided with excellent service. Bartho who we organised the tour with, was extremely helpful and always provided swift responses to our questions. Bartho advised us on what would be the best tour for us and really catered to our needs, especially given that our Safari tour was for a special occasion.
Mike our Safari guide was absolutely incredible, we felt very lucky to have him as our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the different areas we visited such as Tarangire Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Manyara. We asked Mike endless questions and he was always happy to answer, despite wearing him out with all our queries! Mike was always very attentive and looked after all members of our Safari group, going above and beyond to make sure we were happy and comfortable during our Safari day trips. Mike is an absolute legend and you should count yourself lucky if you have Mike as your guide! He knows all the best spots to see the animals and was always manoeuvring the jeep to ensure we got the best possible photograph's of the animals. You really are magic Mike!! We managed to see so much because of Mike and his ability to track the animals and understand their behaviours and the best time of day to find them. We got so close to lions, leopards, cheetahs thanks to Mike's driving skills too!!
Abdullah (Dullah) was the best cook I could have hoped for. His food was incredibly tasty and always provided great variety, with new meals every day. Similar to Mike, Dullah went above and beyond to cater to our needs, cooking delicious vegetarian meals for my partner and I whilst catering to meat eaters in the group as well. I am missing Dullah's cooking already, especially his vegetarian lasagne!!
I feel very lucky to have had such an extraordinary Safari experience and it was all down to Serengeti Wakanda tours and it's incredible team of people. Thank you Bartho, Mike and Dullah for all your time and efforts in helping us organise this trip of a lifetime and for making it extra special. It will be impossible to forget this trip and all the incredible experiences. My partner and I are already planning to rebook another Safari with Serengeti Wakanda tours again soon!!
SE
Email Julien | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once-in-a-lifetime experience!
We are a couple in our 30s, very lucky to have travelled quite a bit already including in jungle and desert areas. We booked a 5 days safari with Serengeti Wakanda in July 2022.
We booked online after reading reviews on TripAdvisor, we received all important information and answers to our many questions from Batho - excellent communication! The booking was secured after paying a 10% deposit via bank transfer, very conveniently. The remainder of the fee was payed the day before the safari started, via bank transfer again.
We were told that we would be taking part in a group tour with a maximum of 8 other tourists, and in the end we were only 4 travellers in the car which was perfect! Our car was comfortable, everybody has a window seat, and the pop-up roof allows a 360 deg. view which is fantastic for observing the animals and taking pictures.
Our guide and driver Derick was very nice, calm, patient and kind. He could answer all our questions. Derick did all he could whithin the parks rules to get us nice viewing points of the animals, he was fantastic at finding them, and took on very long game drives to make sure we could make the best out of our safari. Thank you Derick for these long days driving us around!
During the safari, food was prepared freshly everyday by the amazing cook Suleiman. The food was very good, diverse, with freshly baked bread for all meals! In addition, Suleiman has been the kindest companion during our safari, always having kind words for us, making sure we liked the food, and sharing his knowledge of the country as well. Thank you Sulei, you are a wonderful person!
Two nights were spent camping in Serengeti and Ngorongoro, right inside the national parks. Although this can sound a bit scary, these were some of the best nights I have spent camping. The camping sites were fairly large (perhaps about 30-40 tents), which brings a feeling of safety with the people around, without feeling overcrowded.
Finally, a few words about the parks. We visited in 5 days the Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara national parks. All the parks have a very different and specific landscape and fauna, so 5 days seemed to us like a good time to take it all in. We got to see so many animals up close, including large mammals and birds. The amount of life around the parks is mind blowing, with herds of elephants, prides of lions and large groups of wildebeest everywhere.
This truly was the experience of a lifetime!
I absolutely recommend to book a safari with Serengeti Wakanda, the value was incredible and everything was smooth and beyond expectations!
US
Email G Madison | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari Experience with Family!
We went on a 7-day private safari with Wakanda in July '22 - 2 adults and 2 teens. We had a fabulous time. Bartho was very responsive to my many questions, and also made sure he met us early in the Safari and before we left, which was a nice touch.
Andrew was our safari guide the whole time and he is outstanding! He is extremely funny and easy to talk with and extremely knowledgeable. Every time we found any animal, reptile or bird he would grab a guide book and share so we could learn more. He told about life and culture in Tanzania and included his personal life stories. We were sad to say goodbye to him!
Dulleh made fabulous meals for us three times a day... think a fresh loaf of bread with every dinner that we would gobble down with amazing first course soups and then have to continue to stuff ourselves with all the additional courses and choices that continued to come out! One teen is a picky vegetarian and she was very happy with our meals.
The 7-day safari was fun- we spent 6 of the days going through the various parks and focused on animals, birds, etc., but the last day included a hike up to a beautiful waterfall through an amazing coffee (and other) farming community, then learning about the coffee bean harvest to coffee making process and then on to a fun little water-hole made from warm springs. It was nice to include the additional time spent exploring much of what Tanzania has to offer.
You will spend some nights in a tent (they provide the sleeping bag, and pad!), and some in a sweet little backpacking lodge (Fig Tree), where they hosts are very friendly.
I highly recommend the experience through Wakanda Serengeti!