Makasa is owned & managed by Selma and Ngomi Kamm
Makasa Tanzania Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Rick | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Makasa Safari, a once in a lifetime experience !
Communication and service were at a very high level and met largely our expectations .
Great safari tour, excellent accommodations, experienced and super friendly guide, we strongly recommend
Makasa Safari.
US
Email Susan Warren & Charles Bestard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful experience and lifelong memories thanks to Makasa.
Selma tailored our itinerary to exactly what we wanted, and it was perfect....we saw Arusha park and Mt. Meru, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and central and western Serengeti with a flight back to Kili at the end.
All accommodations she selected were great, our favorites were the Maramboi tented camp, Gibbs Farm, and the Chaka camp. Our guide, Kaleby, was outstanding in his knowledge and professionalism--I can't imagine a better guide. Tanzania and it's wildlife are simply amazing, and it's people warm and friendly.
We highly recommend Makasa!
NL
Email Familie De Oude | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience thanks to Makasa an our guid Frank
We experienced an unforgettable experience during our nine days in Tanzania (safari tours) and six days on Zanzibar (Kilima Kidogo, sun, sea and beach).
We did not have to worry at all about the organization, we only have tot enjoy.
The accomodations were fine with full attention for their visitors.
We had a great guid, Frank, who showed us the big five and at all times was prepared to do his best to help us to make the best shots.
Our stay at Kilima Kidigo (Zanzibar) was relaxing and gave us the opportunity to come to rest.
We had a really wunderfull time and thank Selma (Makasa), Frank (guid) and Dina and her staff (Kilima Kidogo) for an great time.
Email Christine | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Adventure Safari
If you want to design your own safari experience in Tanzania, with the help of an expert, Makasa and its owner Selma Kamm is just what you need.
We had 17 days of unforgettable experiences through Makasa, and with Victor, one of Makasa's experienced guides. Nothing was too much trouble with Victor or Selma. It all suited us beautifully. The range of accommodation experiences was excellent; the animals prolific and stunning; the landscapes awesome; and the people gentle and courteous. Victor has been extremely well prepared for his role and must have an in-built navigation system as it would surpass any electronic Sat. Nav.
10/10 for Makasa
DE
Email Mike H | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommend Makasa and Mr. Rogaute!
1st time safari couple booked a private, honeymoon trip to Tanzania & Zanzibar with Makasa. We visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti.
Booking process: Quite easy. Safari Bookings reviews were very helpful. The Makasa team was responsive and provided honest feedback. I did a bit of research beforehand and had an idea of what I wanted.
Payment process: Wired payment and got confirmation of receipt. No issues. There wasn’t much contact with Makasa afterwards, which made me a bit nervous, but we didn’t run into any issues
Arrival/Depature: There was a driver in Tanzania and Zanzibar to pick us up. Had no issue with pick-up or departure.
Driver: Our driver in Tanzania was Mr. Rogaute. He is a freelance driver (not sure how many Makasa trips) but was wonderful, 5-stars. To be clear, he’s not the super-always-upbeat type of person. Some people want, expect, or need a driver to entertain them. Not me. I’m more of an introvert and the wife is an extrovert. It worked out perfectly for us. He wasn’t always bouncing off the walls with energy that would have aggravated me after one day. But the wife is friendly enough to keep conversations going.
During points on our trip, we had some relatively open conversations about cultures and politics. Very, very pleased with Mr. Rogaute. He is a knowledgeable safari guide with nearly 15 years of experience and knew where to find the Big 5. In addition, he’s one heck of a driver who went above and beyond to ensure his clients were happy.
Tanzania Hotels:
Kaliwa Lodge: Off the beaten path a bit. There wasn’t an easy way to leave the hotel area to go to Moshi but we didn’t spend much time here. It was an ok hotel run by Germans with quite an extensive whiskey selection. Food was ok but they ran out of some items during dinner buffet.
Maramboi Tented Camp: Probably my favorite Tanzanian accomodation. I’d describe it as a luxury, tented camp. All inclusive, very kind people, decent food, great pool overlooking Lake Manyara, and we heard many animals outside our tent overnight.
Kati Kati: Located inside Serengeti. I was a bit apprehensive about this place. I’d describe it as an upscale, tented camp. For a honeymoon, I was hoping for more but this place won me over with the customer service and friendly people. Food was good and plentiful but be aware that there is no place to charge your phones in your own tent (must be done at the dining tent) and someone must fetch you water to shower (late showers were frowned upon since wildlife is around).
Endoro Lodge: A nice lodge that has an indoor fireplace (yes, we did take advantage of this). We didn’t need to worry about wild animals on the hotel grounds at this location so that was refreshing after staying in the Serengeti. Enjoyed our stay but internet in the dining area was a bit suspect. I also didn’t like that safari drivers weren’t allowed to eat with their clients. This was the only accommodation that had this policy in Tanzania that we stayed at.
Next Paradise (Zanzibar): Boutique hotel on the northeastern side of the island. Stuart (manager/owner) was very friendly. The food was delicious and focused on freshly caught seafood from nearby markets. The dinner menu is posted at 3pm daily. You can either get half board or full board included within price of hotel stay. Rooms very nice and the relaxation of the hotel was a nice contrast to the long days in the jeep while on safari.
There are ‘beach boys’ in the area trying to sell stuff but the hotel employs Masai men to keep them off hotel property. There is also a tennis court and table tennis available.
The airport is about 1 hour away; northern beaches 30 mins. We took 3 side trips during our stay; 2 booked at the hotel. Stone Town/Spice Tour and then a taxi to the northern beaches were both booked at Next Paradise. I feel it’s a bit pricey but we got our own taxi who picked us up and waited for us until we were ready to come back. We felt safe so it was worth the money – although we didn’t try to do any price comparisons. We also booked a Blue Safari through Makasa that sailed to nearby islands which included beach time, snorkeling, fruits, water, lobster lunch, and our own personal boat & guide.
Next Paradise is a nice hotel that I’d recommend if you want to relax and enjoy some very good seafood.
CA
Email Maureen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience - everyone should have the chance to go!
Makasa provided our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teenagers) with a trip of a lifetime. Selma was so accommodating and easy to communicate with. Frank, our guide through our Safari, was amazing. Dina, in Zanzibar, made us feel like we were at home. The people of Tanzania are friendly, welcoming and so kindhearted. The wildlife was unbelievable and the beaches of Zanzibar were beautiful!!
DE
Email Harry | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Team - Great Experiences
Makasa did an excellent job at organising our trip. They picked the perfect lodges and accommodations, according to our tastes and budgets. The staff (drivers, safari guides, mountain guides) were 100% competent, reliable and always an enjoyable company to be with during the trips. In case of problems one can always reach the owners via email or phone and they will find a solution (in our case: organising medical care and re-scheduling due to unforeseen sickness).
We did a 4 weeks tour, starting with a trip on the Mt. Meru, covering three of the major national parks and ending on the beach in Zanzibar. Makasa proved to be a fully competent one-stop-shop for the entire trip. They have an extended network of business partners and family members over the country that their guests can benefit from. No need to find a driver, park ranger or a safari guide or mountain porter – they’ll do it for you and you just relax and enjoy the safari.
We chose Makasa because close friends of ours booked with them the previous year and recommended them to us – now we will recommend them further.
NL
Email Hein & Akkie Daams | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fourth time a Makasa safari and again a hit
For the fourth time we made a safari with Makasa. This time was the main goal the crossing of the wildebeests in the North Serengeti.
As usual is the communication with Selma and Ngomi pleasant and clear. They understand the client's needs very well. And every time we are supprised about the different choices of the tented camps.
Doing Safari with driver/guide David is every time a gift. His knowledge of the flora and fauna is excellent and he has real hawkey eyes. Highlights of this safari were the several crossing of the Mara River and of course the luck we had to see the pangolin at the last day of our stay in the Serengeti
BE
Email Bryan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely lovely from start to finish
We had organised the 7 day safari with Makasa and everything was perfect. The organisation / lodges / taxi pick-up / guide / extra coffee tour were all topnotch!
It was our first safari, but will definitely not be the last.
You get to personalise your own trip with lots of help and tips from Selma. Via email everything went smooth, lots of answers quickly.
We were very happy to have chosen Makasa instead of the many overpriced tour operators in Arusha.
We paid way less for a private safari than some companies were charging for shared safari (which I definitely would not recommend).
From the very first contact with Makasa till the last say goodbye to our personal guide: marvellous!
First we climbed the Kilimanjaro. A private climb with the three of us and 16(!) Tanzanian companions. Very professional guide and assistent guide, Issa and Gerardi. Very friendly as well. Great respect for cook, waiter and porters. Thanks to all of them we made it. Very tough, but a lot of fun.
After Kili on a 9 day safari with another driver/guide, Humphrey. Very fanatical with full knowledge. We loved it. Didn't expect to see that much!
Thank you Makasa, Selma and Ngomi, for 18 wonderful days in our lives. It was great to be with you! Maybe except for one thing: coming back from Kili we wanted so much to have a shower; there was, but the water was cold ..., that should not be.