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
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Email Ruth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Well Done & Memorable Trip
A safari trip has always been on my travel list (bucket list to some) and I must say that Makasa Tanzanian Safaris managed to wow me on my 9-day tour of Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. They not only booked my friends and I to see the best national parks but they had the most amazing Humphrey guide us on this adventure. I call it an adventure because we were never sure of what our surprise was going to be each day. From a herd of 20+ elephants crossing in front of vehicle to lions mating less than 30 meters away or a cheetah digging into his fresh caught kill, the sights just were breathtaking. Our trip was the smoothest from start to finish and the lodging selected in each of these areas were clean and comfortable. Maramboi tented camp was unique as it gave us the camp feel yet had all the amenities of a hotel. Both Sopa Lodges in Serengeti and Ngorongoro had unlimited views of the Serengeti Plains and the Ngorongoro Crater. Selma and her staff were very quick to respond to questions and handled bookings promptly. She and her family even took time to meet with us at breakfast in Moshi before sending us off on our journey.
All in all, they were very responsible and we felt well taken care of. I would recommend Makasa to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania.
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Email Myung | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Experience
Wow! Where should I begin to tell this incredible journey of my lifetime?
I am always cautious making online reservation for travel especially when it involves never visited countries thousands of miles away. I browsed so many Safari companies before selecting Makasa. I chose Makasa because the reviews were very positive and the photo of the Kamm family made me feel comfortable.
Thus, my husband, my son , my girlfriend and I began our journey to Africa for 9 days. When we arrived in Kilimanjaro airport the representative from Makasa was waiting with big smile, which made me feel relieved. We stayed one night at Kilimanjaro Lodge, which generates income for the girls school. The room was simple but clean and I was glad to know that by sleeping there, we were helping the school.
Next morning, we were on the way to adventures in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
I could not express enough how fortunate we were to have Humphrey as our guide. I have travelled far and wide around the world but no one matched Humphrey. His extensive knowledge about animals and their habitat,, names of trees and flowers along the way amazed me. He regularly had us sit around the table after lunch giving us lectures about the ecosystems of national parks and Massai tribes and other important information about animals and their habits. After so many years of his same profession, he was still passionate about his work. I will never forget how excited he was when we saw a black rhino lumbering away on the plain. He was incredibly professional, courteous and humorous. He was never tired of answering our questions until the last minutes of our departure and actually he was happy that we wanted to know all about animals and trees. He also had an eagle vision and could spot animals from far away without a mistake. No animal escaped from his sight. My son challenged him that we would see 25 lions. We saw 57 lions.
Everyday was a surprise. We saw a cheetah feeding on its kill and 6 vultures and an eagle landing on the carcass.
We saw lions mating. We saw a leopard in a tree with its kill (a gazelle) dangling from the tree. We saw a pride of 11 female lions relaxing in a tree while the male lion and his mate rested nearby. We saw a black rhino. We saw hyena stealing a carcass from vultures while a black-backed jackal followed him.
In all, we saw the Big Five, the Ugly Five, and an ant lion, one of the Small Five.
The lodgings were superb. We stayed at Maramboi in Tarangire, and Sopa Lodges in Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Every lodge had breathtaking views and the food was excellent.
Makasa made this all possible and I would not hesitate to recommend Makasa Tours to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania.
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Email Debbie Wooldridge | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We just returned home after an outstanding safari experience with an extremely awesome tour guide!
My husband and I just returned from one of the best vacations we have ever experienced. Our safari adventure in Tanzania was outstanding from start to finish. The agenda for our trip was planned out based on outstanding recommendations and guidance from Selma Kamm. Her recommendations and help in booking this vacation was awesome! Each of the lodgings she helped me to select were unique, a perfect representation of the area and very enjoyable. The food was great at each place we stayed and the service was wonderful. Everything about the planning for this trip was well organized and well planned. I would highly recommend Makasa Tanzanian Safaris for anyone wanting an outstanding, professional and well organized safari experience.
What absolutely made our trip however; was our safari guide, Kaleby Macha. I cannot express how much he added to our experience. Being in the safari jeep with Kaleby was like bringing an entire crew from National Geographic along with us. His knowledge and the willingness to share with us about of the land, the tribes, the wildlife, and the vegetation is what truly made this experience so outstanding. He provided us so much information in such a meaningful way that I really feel like I truly have a deep understanding of Tanzania! Seeing the Big 5 was only part of what made this special - seeing the amazing birds, flowers, the people and all the other wild life and having a truly professional and fun guide to answer our questions is why I rate this entire experience so very highly!
Great tour company, great guide and amazing experience!! Thank you, Makasa!
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Email Jeff Mogab | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing adventure!
What an amazing trip. I cannot recommend Makasa enough. My wife and I went on a trip last summer, and we could not be happier.
First, the communication. I found that Selma was always helpful and informative. She responded quickly and helped us customize our trip to what we wanted. She made thoughtful recommendations and helped us figure out what was the best fit for us.
The accommodations were all memorable and wonderful. We stayed mostly in tented camps, and my wife was thrilled to be able to see zebras walking from the shower one evening. Truly a memorable experience.
But the best was the actual trip. The service from pick-up to drop off was top notch. We experienced the adventure we dreamed of. Our guide, Peter, was incredibly knowledgable about the wildlife and the plants, and really made the trip. He was kind, and interesting, and clearly well liked by the other guides and people in the industry. I cannot over emphasize how much of a difference he made to us enjoying our trip. We felt well taken care of, and he made an extra effort to find us animals that were not surrounded by safari vehicles already. His effort of searching rewarded us with watching two lionesses hunt, without any other vehicle in sight. Truly a wonderful man, and a terrific guide. Peter also worked hard to accommodate some of our requests for other things. He went and haggled for us at a market, and when we wanted to go on a hike, he found one for us to do.
One recommendation - Bring the biggest binoculars that you can. My wife and I brought small travel ones, but Peter let us use his large ones, and they made a huge difference.
Since coming home, I have recommended Makasa to friends and family who have seen our photos, and I sincerely hope that they go. If they have half the experience that we did, they will have an amazing trip.
Perhaps, the best I can say is, if my wife and I went back to Tanzania, we would go with Makasa again.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great 1st Time Safari
We went on a 6 day safari with Makasa to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Tarangire. Each park offered a great variety of animals, vegetation and it was great to experience the wildlife in their natural environment. From the first contact and planning to the final drop off after the safari, we can only praise Makasa. Selma was helpful in our planning, the price was reasonable, and our guide Kaleby, was very knowledgeable about all the animals, plant life and even birds. He also taught us about many cultural aspects of his native land. Given the time parameters for safaris and distances covered, we never felt rushed and approached each day with a sense of adventure as to what animals awaited!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing 3-week trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar!
We had three weeks to discover the beauty auf Tanzanian national parks and Zanzibar! From the beginning, we had a good feeling about Makasa which was confirmed in each step from the planning of the trip to the actual journey! The organisation of logistics was spotless. And we saw soooo many beautiful scenes, that it is difficult to say what we liked most! From a herd of elephants that we found ourselves surrounded by on day 1 of the safari, over cute little lions, cheetas, elephants and even a leopard baby, to observing a rhino mother with its - not so small - baby. We loved it! Our guide humphrey had a great feeling for what we wanted to see! And we were rewarded several times due to his skill of spotting animals without the help of walkie talkies that the big companies all use! We were so proud of him and it was great fun! :-)
Zanzibar was a relaxing last week and we truly loved the blue safari which allowed for relaxed swimming and dining far away from tourists. But the highlight of the trip was clearly the safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a lifetime with Makasa!
Excellent communication and trustworthy travel agent in Tanzania! The benefit has been that we did not pay premium for the international travel agents, who use local Tanzanian companies anyway. We received value for money moving through Tanzanian Parks with a very nice, funny and knowledgeable Safari guide. What we have seen was truly unbelievable as we moved from Moshi with the views of Kilimanjaro to Tarangire through Manyara Lake and finally to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Excited, we enjoyed vist of jackals and hyenas and elephant family in the camp, observing the full cycle of life in Serengeti and seeing the Big 5! That was a trip of the lifetime and we now plan to repeat Safari adventure with our children age 7 and 12.
We stayed in the mix of permanent lodges and tents and that combination gave as a fantastic mix of luxurious conditions and safari excitement of having wild animals as your neighbours! The two venues we will never forget were in Maramboi Tented Camp and Kati Kati Tented Camp, simply exceeded our expectations by bringing adventure to our life! Special thanks to the ladies in Kilimanjaro Lodge – service amazing, food even more amazing!
If we go to Tanzania again that will definitely be with Makasa! I have also recommend them to my friends and colleagues.
NL
Email Gerda en Paul | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fast and fabulous
Last minute is an understatement of our trip. Monday night we decided to travel to Tanzania, Wednesday night we arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Makasa managed to organize a fantastic trip within this short timeframe. Excellent service, very quick communication and a perfect itinerary. Because of our fast decision, the whole trip was a big surprise to us, but it met all our expectations. Accommodations were superb! One day we woke up close to Tarangire National Park with a fantastic view of zebras, warthogs and wildebeests roaming the landscape between our terrace and the hills at the horizon. The next day we slept in the middle of Serengeti, surrounded by hyenas and lions, roaring in the night. In Ngorongoro Conservation Area we spotted 2 rhinos, which completed our big 5 checklist. We have seen so many animals! Before and after the safari we took some time to relax and to visit some local villages. Despite their poverty, Tanzanian people are very friendly and we loved their hospitality. We hope to be back soon!
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Email Charles A | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic photo safari with many outstanding photo opportunities
Makasa provided me with a memorable safari experience. Selma was always outstanding responding to my questions via e-mail and helping me develop the perfect safari based on what I wanted to see and the kind of accommodations I desired. She made many helpful suggestions, but she was always tuned in to my wishes.
The safari itself certainly was outstanding in every way. I was fortunate to have Ngomi as my guide, and I doubt there is a better, more knowledgeable guide in Tanzania. He and Kalebi, our driver, were outstanding in finding outstanding animal photo opportunities and made many helpful suggestions on when and how to get the "perfect" photo. I got many many photos of the "Big Five" in addition to many great photos of other animals and birds. Ngomi was always able to identify the animals and birds, including the scientific classification. And his eyesight is unreal -- he could spot a leopard tail in a tree or a black rhino 1000 meters away. I have nothing but great memories of my safari, and hopefully will be able to return for a follow-up; I know Makasa will help me plan the perfect second safari!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience!
The plan they made for us was excellent, we visited four national parks and saw lots of animals. In Ndutu we experienced the migration with the wildebeests and their calf's, as well as the zebra's with their fowls.
Communication with Makasa Tanzanian Safaris was very easy, fast replies and suggestions according to what we wanted.
The driver/guide was very professional, easy going, patient and informative.
Accommodations were what we expected. We had a great time!