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
NL
Email Milou | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari/Zanzibar with Makasa
We met Selma at a Holiday Event in Utrecht (Holland). We already decided to go on Safari and after our conversation with Selma we felt immediately comfortable booking with Makasa. From day one in Moshi everything was perfectly arranged. If we had questions/tips or when we were in need for help, Selma and Ngomi were always there for us. By email or telephone and even on whatsapp they were always reachable. The tented camps on safari were amazing; unique, local, charity based and an good mix between luxury/connected with your environment, nature. Especially the camp based in the center of Serengeti was extraordinary. Hearing the sounds of nature and hyenas being so close is thrilling. Our guide was an expert, he is already 20 years in the business so he could tell us everything. We felt really safe and comfortable with him, which is very important since you’re in the car with your guide for one week. Zanzibar was beautiful, Selma helped us out finding a nice quite guesthouse on the eastside of Zanzibar. White beaches, turquoise water and no massa tourism. After one week safari, one week Kilimanjaro this was the best please to relax! Many thanks to Makasa making this trip so beautiful and special.
Email Jim Clarke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
utterly sublime
Simply the best. Almost a biblical encounter. Victor, our safari guide, is a legend. I've travelled through Serengeti ecosystem many times but nothing could surpass this experience.
NL
Email Elly van den Bos | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Makasa managed to organize an unforgettable vacation for us
Pleasant and personal communication
Flexible to our wishes.
Well organized safari with pleasant, reliable guide with al lot of knowledge
Beautiful lodges in beautiful locations.
It was nice that, thanks to Makasa's selection of small-scale lodges in close cooperation with local people and local projects, we could return something for the population.
US
Email Moira Matthys | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Makasa made our trip an unforgettable experience , special shoutout to guide King , simply the best!
Communication was perfect, prompt, clear and straightforward! Service was outstanding , Makasa understood our expectations. We are so glad we chose them, they were professional and perfect! When we return to beautiful Tanzania we won't hesitate to ask for their help again!
NL
Email Ton en Helga | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect!
The communication with Selma was excellent: she answered quickly, she organised a cooler in the jeep ( to keep medication cool), she booked perfect locations for us. We had a 7 day trip to Northern Tanzania and 6 days on Zanzibar ( Hakuna Majiwe, Paje: sun, sea and beach)
Our favorite place is the Kisura Tented Camp in the Serengeti: so many animals in our backyard, the lions passing by in the evening (pointed out by the Masai guard), the fireplace, the best meals we had during our holidays and the personnel was very friendly.
Victor, our driver was very friendly too with a big knowledge of the animals and the culture (we will never forget The Masai Jeep :)) . He arranged the best spots for us to make pictures, we saw the big 5! And we felt safe in his Jeep.
Hakuna Majiwe is a perfect place to relax. When you want something else for dinner as a buffet, you can perfectly well eat by the neighbours of the Kilima Kidogo Lodge.
We highly recommend Makasa due to the perfect organisation of our Dream Holiday!
CA
Email Chris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized, great guide, honest advice, and unforgettable experiences.
Selma was very prompt and clear in her communications. She provided lots of variations that fit our limited budget. The guide (Humphry) was amazing. His service, ability to see animals, driving, knowledge, and personally was top-notch. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. We visited three parks. Each was distinct and the time allotment for each was perfect. The safari surpassed our high expectations.
I would recommend Makasa to anyone without hesitation.
US
Email Jennifer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above our expectations!
I would absolutely choose Makasa again and recommend them to my friends and family! Choosing a company can be very overwhelming. I chose Mikasa because they were located in Tanzania, I liked their family pictures and easy website, they had strong reviews, and there budget was affordable! From the beginning the communication was very easy. Selma quickly e-mailed me with a potential detailed itinerary including lodging links so I could see where we would stay. I had many questions and she answered every one with a personal e-mail within 24 hours. Mikasa gave me options and adjusted the itinerary based on my needs for timing of travel and desires for destinations. We booked rather late and she worked very hard to find us excellent options for family accommodations. We were met at the airport in Kilimanjaro by their company driver and transported to our first accomodation. We felt reassured and safe with this arrangement as we arrived at night. The next morning we met our guide, Tom, before breakfast. He was very friendly and happy to meet us. He told us "You come as friends but you will leave as family." We had no idea what to expect and did not realize that your guide is your ticket to a successful, happy and safe safari! Tom was amazing! He talked to us easily in excellent English and made us comfortable. He anticipated our needs and arranged everything for us at our lodges and camps. He was respectful of our privacy but was always there ready to answer questions. He was enjoyable to be around and was great with our kids (8 and 13 years) and worked very hard. And he was very excited to show us the amazing animals. He went out of his way to search for treasures and communicated with other drivers to discover locations of lions and leapards and cheetahs, etc. He was very knowledgable and new every bird by name that we pointed out. We saw everything with him including the ellusive nocturnal caracal cats and African wild dogs and serval cats! My kids counted over 70 lions up close in the Serengetti alone! We almost broke 100 overall. Tom used to drive for another company but he said now he only drives for Makasa "because they take care of their people." And this shows. He was happy with his job, engaged and invested to make it the most amazing experience we could have. He even took us by a Maasai village, with a pre-school where the kids sang to us, on the way to the Serengetti. He was familiar with this particular village and knew we would enjoy the school. This stop was a bonus for us since we had opted out of the Maasai tour day to go to Lake Manyara (a must see by the way!). You could tell the other Makasa drivers were happy as well. We saw several as we toured around. I was impressed that each of the other drivers for Makasa came up to us and introduced themselves, and asked us how we were doing and wished us a great safari experience. The Makasa vehicles were in good condition as well. VERY important on the bumpy safari roads. We saw several vehicles from other companies broken down on the side of the road waiting for parts to repair them (including broken axels and burnt out clutches). Our vehicle held up well under extreme off roading conditions. Tom says the Makasa vehicles are sent in after every safari tour to be examined and tuned up for the next trip by excellent mechanics. The lodges and tent camps chosen by Makasa were superb. They were more than we had expected! Excellent facilities, friendly staff, amazing food. Two of our lodges had humanitarian interest. One was connected to and supported a girls boarding school (Mama Clementine) that we were able to tour, and another supported an orphanage (Rhotia Valley) that we also toured with the founder. This added to our family cultural experience and was a high light for us and our children. We were very impressed and would highly recommend Makasa for your safari experience. We really felt we got high value for the money we paid and that they worked hard to keep our costs reasonable without sacrificing quality or experience. There were no hidden expenses either. We know we could have paid much more and gotten much less through other safari companies. They really provided us with a quality Tanzanian safari experience far and above our expectations. Thank you Makasa!
Email Sayaka Ikushima | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Could not have asked for more!
I went with my friend to Tanzania - Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in July-Aug. We had Jamal as a driver and our tour guide who was perfect for us. His knowledge on animals and value was something I appreciated. He was always accomodating and allowed us to spend time the way we wanted rather than enforcing us to be on schedule and time. It was my first Safari tour, but not for my friend but i was told how spoilt I was to see 4/5 Big Fives on my first day and completed with my 5th one on my last day. I believe Jamal brought us luck. We were enjoying taking millions of photos and Jamal was making sure we had good view and animals. It was lovely to end our trip by hearing him saying how much he also enjoyed our company that he wanted to travel more and that's exactly how we felt. The expectations of a guide after Jamal became so high for us that we were very disappointed with our guide after him!!
My engagement organising with Selma didn't start off well as i was getting responses. But Miriam helped us through and was really helpful organising our trip and trying to help us with our demand as we wanted all. I must say I loved all the accomodations we had. Esp Tortillias and Ngorongoro Farm House, Tanganyika Wilderness Camp. The best places that I would love to go back again.
NL
Email Ellen Schilder | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A well organised, adventurous and unique trip with many breathtakingly beautiful accomadations.
The employees have a high level of English and are more than eager to give you all the help you need. Our guide was super enthusiastic and has told us many different stories about the different type of animals we saw, including the smaller ones, sort like birds and the different type of gazelles you can see on the safari. The arrival at the different kind of accomodations were all very friendly and welcoming. You couldn't escape the good hospitality of a fresh home made juice and employees that would carry all your heavy bags to your tent or room. The lodges were very beautiful and charming furnished. Further more, we were amazed by the many exotic animals we were able to see and the amazing landscape of both the Serangetti and the Krater. How immensely small you felt in the Serangetti and how extraordinary the landscape of the Krater was, not even mentioning the immense difference between those two landscapes.
Email Charlie Taylor | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari with an excellent company who provided an expert and personal service
Communications with the company were quick and the advice received was very helpful in creating a 10 day trip to Northern Tanzania - Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti - for a family of four. The owners of the company met us at the start and introduced us to our guide, King, who was with us for the rest of the trip. He was excellent - good company, safe driver, great at spotting and showed very good judgement on when to stay at a location and when to move. As a result we had some amazing experiences and some very close encounters with a wide range of animals. The arrangements made by Makasa all worked out well and the camps in the Serengeti were a real highlight. We would definitely use this company again.