Serengeti Smile Team
Serengeti Smile
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2020)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Tourist Board & AMREY Flying Doctors Insurance
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $90 to $300 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
ID
Email Utami | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience
We recently went on an incredible 8-day safari trip with Serengeti Smile, and it exceeded all of our expectations. From the moment we arrived, the team at Serengeti Smile and Frank were friendly, accommodating, and attentive to our needs.
Our driver and guide, John, was an absolute delight. Not only was he incredibly knowledgeable about the wildlife and landscape, but he went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. His passion for the Serengeti was infectious, and he went above and beyond to ensure that we saw everything we wanted to see and more.
The organization and planning that went into our trip were exceptional. Serengeti Smile truly thought of everything, from the delicious meals and comfortable accommodations to the well-timed game drives that allowed us to see the most wildlife possible.
One of the highlights of the trip was staying in a tented camp in the heart of the Serengeti. The camp was luxurious and well-appointed, with all of the amenities we could ask for. But what really made it special was the feeling of being surrounded by nature, with the sounds of the bush just outside our tent.
Overall, I can't recommend Serengeti Smile, Frank and John enough. They truly went above and beyond to make our safari experience unforgettable. If you're looking for a company that will provide exceptional service and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, look no further than Serengeti Smile.
DK
Email Dave | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Passionate new tour operator who delivers on promises!!
Let me breakdown the review in 4 sections for my 11 days trip in February’2023:
1. Pre-Trip
I had contacted atleast 15 different tour operator with my itinerary for quotes and negotiations. Out of all the responses I had selected Serengeti Smile as they were better in – proposal, responsiveness, flexibility in accommodating plans, price point(though not the cheapest quote) and finally comfort that I felt in dealing / speaking with Frank over video & audio calls. Also, the negotiations and prepayment procedures and acknowledgement of receipts where smooth and on time – hence providing much needed assurance and peace of mind.
2. First 6 days
The first six days (spent 3 each at Ndutu and Seronera) where fantastic and extremely high on energy. Both the guides who accompanied us were fantastic (Peter – extremely knowledgeable on Birds & Champion – great eyes for spotting animals). I am extremely happy that I had them as guide.
3. Next 5 days
For this part – I came back again to Ndutu. The energy of the guides for this part of the trip declined from the level they had set in the first 6 days. Ofcourse I have to mention here that I was doing game drive everyday from 06:30 in the morning till atleast 18:00 and could see that it is taking a physical toll on the guides. As result on few instances, it lead to spending of time on activities that I would have rather spent otherwise.
4. After-Trip
At the end of the trip a session was arranged to take our feedback about the experience – and this was done without the guides being present. I had mentioned the above points to Frank and have suggested some changes which he can incorporate to make the experience even better. Frank was very open to constructive feedback.
To conclude –
- Did Serengeti smile met my expectation – yes
- Waere the promises made during pre-trip fulfilled – yes – exceeded in some occasions
- Would I recommend Serengeti Smile – absolutely YES. It is a relatively new company and wish them best wishes
Thanks for a great experience!! Thanks - Frank, Champion & Peter!!!
NL
Email Marieke | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great guide who made our tour!
We went for a 3 day safari tour to Ndutu and Ngorogoro (crater), so we didn't have much time.
Luckily we had a guide (Kisali) who really went all the way out to make sure we saw some beautiful wildlife. He was also brutally honest, in a good mood and a lot of fun!
Email Kayla & Jaspa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical experience - great guides, good service and so many animals
My partner and I embarked on our first Safari together. Our expectations were matched by Serengeti smile as a result of their welcoming, informative and chilled service.
They picked us up at our hotel promptly at 8am the first morning, we were greeted with cold bottles of water in the car which I'm sure you can imagine, in the hot weather was very needed! They continued to provide snacks like peanuts and other little bits throughout the day.
As we progressed to the different areas, they provided facts and information about the land, animals and tribes which was good as it adds that educational layer.
The tour guides always seemed like they had our best interest at heart, getting the good spots to see the animals and pointing out little things that we may have missed, for example a Dung beetle pushing a pile of poop with his little friend on it (you can imagine, this is fairly hard to spot in the Serengeti while driving)
I think the experience was good value for money (it was the most cost effective in comparison to the rest of the options), ways in which this trip could be improved is by providing better quality and more thoughtful packed lunch and upgrading the accommodation provided (the first accommodation was a tented camp, which was a great experience but not particularly luxury) however the 2nd lodge was lovely, it had better food options and better facilities. I think my partner and I largely share this opinion due to being foodies and having quite high expectations, so given that I would say the accommodation and food were sufficient but just not up to our standards. I also think that organising the permits well ahead of time would reduce any wait times and delays which in turn would improve the overall experience and make it more seamless.
Nonetheless, we had the most amazing experience - we saw all of the animals except for the Leopard, it was truly magical and we would 100% recommend this to anyone!
AT
Email Dominik | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
Great Driver, Pick up from Airport, Excellent Food, Beautiful Lodge, saw a lot of great animals. Would recommend.
BE
Email Lina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
My mom and I did the 4 days/3 nights private safari starting from Moshi during which we visited the Tarangire, Seregenti and Ngorongoro Crater, and our trip was a great success.
I chose this company because the manager was very reactive and offered a competitive price, and I made a good decision. During our trip, he was always available and did everything to accomodate our needs.
Our driver and guide Champion was very respectful, laid back and knowledgeable about Tanzania beautiful nature. Our lunchboxes were carefully prepared and delicious, and the pincnic spots inside and outside the parks were great and had all clean amenities. The car was comfortable and Champion's driving skills were on spot, even when the roads were rough. We saw the Big 5 and so many others animals, and beautiful landscapes !
The Serena lodges we stayed at were breathtaking, although we didn't have much time to enjoy our stay because we arrived late and departed early for the safari. Food was great, mostly buffets, and the view from the rooms and the swimming pools were amazing. The only bad experience is that when we arrived at 19:00 the Serena Serengeti full of dust, we didn't have hot water all evening and had to eat dinner with dirty clothes, which was not comfortable at all for a "luxury lodge". Our driver offered to call the next lodge to check in advance for hot water, which was very thoughtful.
Other than that, we had a near perfect experience, we wished had booked one or two more days, especially at Ngorongoro Crater and Seregenti.
Thank you Serengeti Smile for making our first safari so magical !
CA
Email Carolina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience
The experience with Serengeti Smile was great since our very first contact through WhatsApp. They were very responsive and accommodating to our requests and needs and kept in touch all the time. Once we landed our driver was waiting for us to take us to our hotel. Next morning our guide was waiting for us at the lobby. Everything went incredibly, we couldn't have asked for a better guide. Thank you Baraka for an amazing time! We 100% recommend.
CA
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything from start to finish was excellent!
We saw:
Jan 13; Elephants, Hippopotamus, Hyenas, Buffalos, Olive Baboons, Warthogs, Banded Mongoose, Kori Bustard (bird) and hundreds of Bushbucks and Zebras.
Jan 14; Lions, Hyena, Duikers (small antelope), Impalas (large antelope), Topi (social antelope), Mongooses, Ostriches, Hartebeest, Secretarybird, Guineafowls and Grey Kestrel.
Jan 15; Eland (largest antelope), Flamingos, Rhinoceros, Pelicans, Crowned Cranes, Water Bucks, Grants Gazelles, and lots of things we saw above too!
US
Email Angela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti Smile may this trip unforgettable.
Serengeti Smile is a very professional tour operator. From the minute I book the tour, the communication was excellent. Frank kept us informed at all times and help us to find the best accommodations for our family of 5.
We decided on a private tour since our family is large. Ayub was our driver/ guide. He was excellent!! Professional and knowledgeable. A very friendly traveling companion that makes sure we get informed at all times. His knowledge of the area and eagle-eyed spotting game made our experience unique. We cant' wait to return to Tanzania with Serengeti Smiles.
FR
Email Monika & James | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Search no further! Hands down the best safari operator out there-experience, professionalism, value!
After contacting over 20 safari companies, comparing their offers, Frank blew me away with his communication and service and put together an absolutely phenomenal package at a great price. From the beginning he listened to what we were looking for and gave us loads of great advice and suggestions, then built the perfect trip for us. We were concerned about doing a safari with our 3 year old daughter and he helped make it not just manageable but an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Serengeti Smile are a young company but the owner and staff have been in the safari business for years. Whereas many companies we contacted were quite pushy with their sales tactics and email communication Frank was polite and answered our queries professionally and in a timely manner. His WhatsApp response time is excellent! Once we agreed on a 5 day package to visit Tarangire, Ndutu, Serengeti and Ngorongoro, we received a contract and an invoice. Unlike many companies, Serengeti Smile are very flexible with their payment options: bank transfers, card payments and cash in 3 currencies (EUR for us).
They also found us the best accommodation options within our budget (Kon Tiki Serengeti Camp blew us away!)
Our driver and safari guide-Ayubu, was incredible! He met us with a huge smile and despite Tanzanian custom (pole, pole), he was punctual each day. He went the extra mile to make sure every day was perfect and went smoothly with our daughter who adored him from day one. It probably helped that he gave her all the chocolate from his lunchboxes ;-) Even now, back home several weeks later, she keeps asking about Ayubu and whether he will show us some more animals today. He is the perfect choice for a safari with children as he is a father himself and loves children. He is a skilled safari guide and is passionate about the wildlife and environment. He has definitely found his vocation. Throughout the trip he told us loads of interesting facts and information about the animals and landscape. This really added value for us as we learnt so much in addition to seeing so many beautiful animals in their natural habitat. Another thing, as well as being an excellent, safe and considerate driver, Ayubu was the first to stop and offer help to another stricken driver in a remote location.
We cannot thank SERENGETI SMILE enough for making our Christmas safari so magical, it was an experience that we will never forget!