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
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, Wonderful Safari
We had a ten night safari with Makasa that took in a night at Olpopongi Masai Village, a day at Lake Manyara, 4 nights on the Serengeti and two days in Ngorogoro Crater. After that Makasa organised our internal flights, transfers and accomodation on Zanzibar before we came home. Every part of the safari exceeded our expectations. Our accomodation in various lodges and tented camps was superb. Our driver and guide, David, was wonderful and extremely knowledgable. He really made sure we saw as much as we possibly could whilst we were with him. We managed to see all of the 'Big 5' and had amazing close encounters with lions, cheetah and other animals that were absolutely incredible. Everything, from the initial pick up at Kilimanjaro Airport to our departure from Dar Es Salaam was flawless. This was our first safari, but it definitely won't be our last. I cannot recommend Makasa enough.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly organized honeymoon - safari and zanzibar
For our honeymoon we were looking for a holiday that combined a safari with some nice relaxing at the beach. We contacted Makasa and immediately received an example itinerary which already included most of what we wanted and with a lot of information about the possibilities. Everything was still flexible, so we changed a few things to get exactly what we liked. This all went very smoothly, with quick responses to emails and it was always clear what the costs would be etc. Whenever we had questions (although most were already answered in the practical info we received) we got a clear answer.
The trip itself was amazing! Everything was organized perfectly, from the moment we were picked up at the airport. We saw lots of animals during our safari, even on transfer days, and our guide had hawk-eyes, spotting animals in the distance while driving on the bumpy roads. Because we had a private safari, we could spend our time where-ever we wanted for as long as we wanted, which made the trip even better. Because it was low-season, we didn't see many other cars, so it really felt like we were out in nature in the middle of nowhere. The accommodations were very luxurious and the food was great.
For the (even more) relaxing part of the holiday we went to Zanzibar. We booked some tours there also via makasa, so we had the same guide for both days, making it easy to switch around the order of the tours to make it more convenient. We only didn't know the time we would be picked up for the first tour, but a quick call to makasa solved that immediately.
To summarize: we had a really pleasant experience with Makasa. Everything was flexible, adjusted to our personal preferences and arranged perfectly. The guides were very knowledgeable and made sure we were comfortable and happy all the time. The price is right, especially for a private safari that is planned around your wishes. If we will go to Tanzania again, we will for sure book with Makasa again!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic 5-day safari to Tarangire and Serengeti
Thanks Selma and Ngomi for organizing a perfect trip and Tuma, the guide/driver, for great company and a professional performance! We saw literally hundreds of elephants in Tarangire, we didn't know so many could fit in one 360deg field of view! Game viewing in Serengeti was excellent, with several prides of lion, cheetah, hyaena and even a close encounter with a leopard. Also all the other animals - gazillions of gnu of course, grazing from horizon to horizon on the green plains, topi (a new sight for us), dik dik and many others, birds such as ground hornbills, the colorful buffalo weaver, a secretary bird, kori bustards, various birds of prey, and others we still need to identify from photos. Tuma got excited with us over a busy dung beetle, and was always happy to stop for anything that tickled our fancy. I even got (painlessly) sucked on by a tsetse, also a novel experience (!?!) The accommodation was excellent. A booking glitch at one lodge was instantly resolved by Selma (while over-seas herself). The best thing about Makasa? The two delightful and professional owners.
US
Email Ruth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
great, well-organized safari exceeded our expectations
Our trip to Tanzania with Makasa Tanzanian Safaris was great. They organized everything for our in-country stay, starting with arranging our flight from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar. The driver was waiting for us at the airport in Zanzibar to take us to our hotel on the other side of the island. He was courteous, friendly and informative. He and all our guides spoke perfect English, so there were no communication problems. Makasa also arranged for our tour of Stone Town and a spice farm, again with a terrific guide. They suggested a hotel in Zanzibar which sounded very nice, but because we wanted to do snorkeling we chose another closer to that activity. They made all the arrangements. In other words, they give suggestions, but are willing to work with you to meet your needs. They also arranged the driver to return us to airport in Zanzibar and they had made the plane reservations to Kilimanjaro, where we were again met by a very friendly, courteous driver. We had thought we wanted to do only a 4-day safari, but because of distances and time of year, Selma suggested a 7-day safari. We are really glad we took her suggestion. Four days would have definitely been too short. On the morning of the safari our driver/guide met us at the hotel and we were off! Not only was he a very good driver and very pleasant, but he was also very knowledgeable about the animals, their habits and habitat. He spoke fluent English as well as fluent Spanish. The safari allowed us time to see the wildlife without ever feeling rushed--plenty of time for pictures--and we also had the option to visit a Masai village.
The accomodations were great--Rhotia Valley tented camp the first night, 3 nights at a tented camp in the Serengeti and the last 2 nights at Sopa Lodge at Ngoro Ngoro Crater. It was nice to experience the more rustic accomodations first and then have the last 2 nights at the lodge. Great planning on Selma's part to do it that way. And the rustic accomodations were not really roughing it at all--tents, but comfy beds, hot water, showers and flush toilets and solar lanterns. And you could hear the birds and other wildlife from tents.
I also liked that profits from both Rhotia Valley and hotel in Moshi go to support an orphanage and a school, respectively. Sopa Lodge was nice, but at all the other places since they were smaller and more casual we were able to interact with travelers from different places--Spain, Norway, Sweden, France.
We also took a day excursion to a waterfall at entrance to Kilimanjaro Park, and you could also do a day hike on Kilimanjaro trail. Since it was the beginning of the short rainy season we viewed the Great Migration in the Serengeti. Amazing!
I highly recommend Makasa. They are experienced and know what they are doing and will take care of everything.
NL
20-35 years of age
Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar
Together with a friend I climbed Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro and we went to Zanzibar. It was a great experience. We were picked up at our hotel (arranged by Makasa). Mount meru is in Arusha National park. When we arrived, we started walking with our guide. It is a very nice trail through this National park with wild animals. We slept in huts. We it is high season you will have to share them, but we had one for ourselves. The food was prepared by a cook of the team. You only have to carry your daypack, the crew will take care of the others equipment.
After one day of rest in Moshi we started our journey on the Kilimanjaro, Machame route in 7 days. We had 2 guides with the 2 of us (protocol of the park) It is a beutiful trail. The guides can tell you so much of the mountain and they know what to do with different kinds of weather and when there is altitude sickness. The mountains are their home. They adapt the pace to the physical condition of the clients, which is very noce. We slept in tents provided by Makasa. The food was prepared by the cook and also on the Kilimanjaro we only had to carry our daypack. The great team took care of the rest. The landscape is really beautiful and the sunset on Shira camp was stunning! The sunrise during the summit was amazing!
After climbing mountains we went to Zanzibar. The continental flight was arranged by Makasa, as were the transfers from the airport to the hotel and vice versa.
The communication was good and personal (and in Dutch). They came to the hotel in Moshi to see if everything is fine. When we sended an email we had quick respons and with our Tanzanian numbers we could easily reach them through phone. We could choose how we wanted everything, the hotels, the timetable of the continental flights, almost everything. It is no problem if you have requests for the food, it can be arranged.
Thanks to Makasa we had a sportive, relaxing and beautiful holiday!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded every expectation!
From the minute I chose to book a safari for my husband and I with Makasa, I was not disappointed! In fact, I was truly blown away by the care and attention Selma took in planning our safari, and keeping in touch with me throughout the whole process, including matching us up with another traveller to share our safari experience with and reduce our overall cost.
The night before our safari commenced, we stayed at MCF Kilimanjaro Lodge, and were lucky enough to meet Selma, her husband Ngomi and their beautiful children. It was obvious to see how passionate they are about Tanzania and the Safari industry. We were made to feel very welcome, like part of the family really! It was the perfect start to our week - beers on the deck amidst the picturesque gardens, complementary snacks, and delicious, home-cooked meals. All staff at K-Lodge were super friendly and made sure that our night there was a comfortable one!
Below is a copy of the email I sent Selma after our safari - I think it sums up our feelings about Makasa:
Hi Selma,
I am just writing to say thank you so much from Tom and I for the most wonderful experience with Makasa!
Firstly, Peter, our safari guide, was an absolute legend! We got along with him so well, and he worked overtime to make sure that we didn't miss out on anything. We felt like we had the best guide in the whole of Tanzania. He was very well-informed about the animals we saw and the places we visited, he had an answer to every one of our millions of questions, and he was a complete gentleman, and made sure that we didn't go without anything! He really must be commended for the outstanding job he did whilst on our safari - we couldn't possibly have asked for any more from our guide!
Esther was a blast - we're really glad we were able to share our experience with her. We shared the same interests and had a lot of laughs along the way. We are currently missing our safari family of Peter and Esther very much!
The parks were a spectacle within themselves. Our favourite day was a 5am start to drive to the northern entrance of the Serengeti. We felt like the only car in the whole place, and we really had a chance to get up close and personal with the animals.
The accommodation exceeded our expectations like you wouldn't believe. After a night at Olpopongi, the luxury of Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge was very much welcomed. Kenzan lodge was very comfortable, and the service was amazing, as with all of our accommodations.
By far, our favourite accommodation was Endoro Lodge. We felt very lucky to experience such luxury basically in the middle of nowhere. The staff there were absolutely outstanding, and made us feel like family. The rooms were spectacular and the food was scrumptious!
All in all, we had the week of a lifetime! The itinerary was perfect and we honestly wouldn't change a thing! We really appreciated having the first night at Olpopongi, as it allowed us or understand and appreciate the Maasai way of life, as we encountered many more Maasai along the way. The group at Olpopongi were exceptional, and we had a really meaningful experience there (along with amazing food).
I have already started recommending Makasa to people we have met in Arusha, because I don't think that the package you arranged for us could have been beaten!
Thank you again, Selma and Ngomi, it was really lovely to meet you and your family.
Kind regards,
Claire and Tom Green
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience, perfect organization!
From the beginning till the end, everything was perfect. Thanks to our guide Kalebi the safari was a once in a lifetime experience. We saw all the big animals and were surprised that there were so many small animals (birds, butterfly's). The accommodation was super, especially the stay in the Serengeti with Kenzan. In the middle of nature with the zebra grazing around our tent and the elephant nearby. We will never forget!
NL
Email Douwe and Manchu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful holiday, custom made and completely stress free
We had a perfect experience with Makasa tour operations. We had our own plans and views on the trip to Tanzania, but Selma's advice on lodges and activities made the trip much more memorable. Without exception, the lodges we stayed at had very kind personnel and the environment was absolutely stunning; both the expensive and the less expensive ones; she definitely knows what she is talking about!
The Safari guide Makasa had arranged for us was much more than just that; he was very good companion and became a friend we hope to show Holland sometimes. His knowledge of wildlife was overwhelming, not only about the big cats and those kind of animals, but also about the variety of birds and plant life. Whereas some tour guides are more like drivers, our guide was a real safari guide who was able to spot animals and happening (like the birth of an Impala) other guides drove past without spotting the happening.
During the whole safari tour as well as our trip to Zanzibar, everything had been thought out for us and had been pre-arranged, making this a completely stress free holiday.
We recommend Makasa tours to whoever reads this, as well as to any friend in Holland who thinks about going to Afrika.
US
Email Carolyn H. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Experience!
Having experienced a tour to South Africa 2 years ago (safari, Victoria Falls, Cape Town), we knew we wanted to return for the "safari only" experience. We also wanted a private tour. From our first email to Selma, we knew we were in good hands. She responded quickly to every question and helped put our minds at rest when it came to wire transferring a fairly large amount of money to a bank in Africa that we knew nothing about! She helped us refine the trip to reflect our exact wants and needs. We chose to travel exclusively in Tanzania, visiting 5 parks. The entire trip went without a hitch, from being picked up at the airport, to being dropped off 14 days later. Our guide, David, was excellent; able to answer any question, great sense of humor, and a spectacular driver! He knows the parks so well, and tried to take to spots where everyone else was not, making for a much more private feeling. We saw every animal possible, including the requested python! He was always on time with a plan in mind for the day, stopping a thousand times for photo taking. The jeep was always clean at the start of the day (no small feat in a very dusty area). Our accommodations ranged from 3+ star to 5 and we were happy with all, with only a few minor issues. I would suggest looking online to see what you will be getting and change any you don't want. We decided on a combination of tents and lodges which was a wonderful experience. The staff at every one of them were incredible. To sum up, Makasa did an excellent job providing us with the safari trip we'd hoped for......quite the trip of a lifetime!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
fantastic adventure
Together with Makasa we made plans for climbing the Kilimanjaro and after that 8 days of safari.
We told Makasa about our plans and they made for us a perfect custom vacation plan. We must have asked them a million questions about climbing the Kilimanjaro and every question was answered. Its been an experience we will not forget, and i'm very pleased we booked with Makasa. The safari was also wonderful with a very experienced guide. He knew so much facts about the animals and nature to tell us. We've visited 4 parks each with there own unique experience. Everything was very well arranged. It was the perfect vacation.