Serengeti Smile Team
Serengeti Smile
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 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
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!!!
LT
Email Vygantas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing
We (three couples) had a private seven days safari. We visited Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara - our trip was amazing!
We were extremely fortunate to see all big 5 as well as an extraordinary number of zebras, antelopes, giraffes and wildebeests.
Our driver, Ayoub Kileo, was a very experienced and professional guide with extensive knowledge of wildlife, exceptional driving skills and extraordinary ability to spot animals. He really made the trip care-free for us and we’re so glad to be guided by him.
We chose Serengeti Smile as Frank was very reactive and offered tailor made itinerary with competitive price. We recommend Serengeti Smile to everyone.
Thanks to Serengeti Smile for making our amazing safari!
US
Email Tim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive, professional, and flexible tour company that showed us the best of Tanzania's parks!
My girlfriend and I did a 10-day Tanzania safari plus Zanzibar beach vacation with Serengeti Smile, and we have nothing but great things to say about the company and the experience. Frank was extremely responsive and patient with our many requests and questions during the planning phase. He also helped to customize the itinerary so that we could fit in everything we wanted. (If you have a specific hotel that you want to stay at or a park that you want to visit, just ask!).
During our safari, we visited Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park. Each one was unique, and we still can't decide which was our favorite. (Rainy season is probably not the best time of year for Lake Manyara, as the animals move elsewhere, but we had our most intimate encounter with a herd of elephants there!)
All of the logistics during the trip were very well organized and took all of the stress out of the travel during our visit. Our guide Champion was phenomenal - he was knowledgeable, entertaining, prompt, reliable, and flexible. When we decided we needed to take a half day off from game drives to relax, he retooled our plan to meet our needs. He was always on time to pick us up, and he provided just the right amount of information - enough to feel like we were really learning about the wildlife, landscape, and country, but not so much that we felt overwhelmed.
Each of the hotels we stayed at was incredible - great rooms, beautiful views, nice restaurants, and very friendly, helpful staff. The game drives were the best part - we traveled in late mid to late April, which is supposedly the height of rainy season. It rained heavily most nights, but during the day the weather was perfect - cool enough to keep us comfortable, and just the right amount of clouds to make for stunning photos. Our guide felt bad that we didn't see as many animals in the Serengeti as he would have liked due to the high grasses of rainy season, but we saw way more than we were expecting. Dozens of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and lions, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras, wildebeest, impalas, and gazelles. And the birds were incredible! Maybe we got lucky during rainy season, but we highly recommend April for the low crowds and enjoyable weather. (Zanzibar was a bit of a different story, as it rained pretty steadily about half of the time, but the other half was sunny and beautiful).
We have just two pieces of advice for travelers, and neither one is meant to reflect negatively on Serengeti Smile. First, beware of the gift shops you may stop at during the safari. At least during the low season, the prices they initial cite for you are outrageous, and many the items that they swear are locally made are the same souvenirs you can buy in countries throughout the region and continent. (I found the same coasters that I had bought in Uganda 10 years ago for $10, and the shop in Tanzania initially asked for $60 for them!). You can negotiate the prices down significantly, but it can be an anxiety-producing experience for those who are not used to bargaining.
Second, we 100% loved the parks we visited near Arusha and would happily go back some day, but we probably don't need to go back to Zanzibar. It is a beautiful place and there are plenty of activities to do, but the economy is based on tourism, so you are constantly hassled by people selling goods and services as soon as you set foot outside your hotel (and sometimes inside of it, when outsiders pass on the beach and try to discretely offer you things until security shoos them away). And after five days of feeling pleasantly isolated in the national parks, the stop and go traffic jams of Stonetown were a bit jarring. That said, the Stonetown tour itself was very interesting and informative, and if you've always wanted to visit Zanzibar, by all means do it, as it is a fascinating place with a unique history. But if you are debating between Zanzibar and a safari, we recommend the safari!
This is the first tour package I've done, so I can't speak to how the value compares to other trips, but we certainly felt like the trip was well worth the expense. Thank you to Serengeti Smile for an enjoyable and unforgettable experience!
ES
Email Jaime Martínez de Velasco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best operator in every sense
My wife and I are very excited to recommend Serengeti Smile. I contacted several companies and Smile were the BEST to interact with, fast to answer emails and WhatsApp, always available for doubts, they adapted to our very specific itinerary while giving the best recommendations and with the best price/value equilibrium. When we arrived in Kilimanjaro Airport, we met John, our guide for the next 6 days, the best we could've asked for: he adapted to all our requests, gave us the best information and had the best conversation. We learnt a lot with him, not only about the Safari itself but also about Tanzania its culture, traditions and society. Game drives were great, we saw thousands of amazing animals, giraffes, zebras, leopards, elephants, hienas,... but it seemed like John had a radar to find SIMBAS (lions). But most of all, we could feel at all times Serengeti Smile were very professional, entirely focused on giving us the best experience... but most of all joyful, kind and great persons.
US
Email Macy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best guide in Tanzania.
Look no further. I cannot recommend Serengeti Smile, specifically our guide, Ayubu, enough! We went into the experience pretty blind, and we got so so lucky.
I truly believe Ayubu is the best guide in Tanzania. Everywhere we went - from Tarangire to the Serengeti to Ngorongoro - he was head and shoulders above any other guide we interacted with. At one point we had 5 guides following us because they knew Ayubu knew his way around the park and how to best track many of the animals.
From the moment Ayubu picked us up in our Arusha until he dropped us off at the airport, he was incredibly professional, fun, knowledgeable. He made sure we had an incredible experience, understood what we were looking for in the experience and was incredible amenable.
FR
Email Anaëlle and Nicolas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, thank you Zack for everything !
We had Zack as driver, and we spent an amazing 4 safari days ! Every prestations was absolutely perfect (lodge, meal, driving, parc…). Thank you Zack your kindness, your smile every days and your stories about animals and the culture of the country. We loved spend time with you, and we loved our holidays in Tanzania and we will come back !
ES
Email Fernando Caballero | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hakuna Matata ! Asante Sana
Daniel and Gody , driver and Spanish guide are really kind and professional, we had a tight schedule and they’ve delivered perfectly. We arrived at KRO and departed from KRO , 4 day safari including Serengeti , Ngorongoro, Tanganire & Lake Manyara.
Lake Manyara is a new park which they are trying to explote , this visit can be very quick if you have a tight schedule. Serengeti is a must & the best.
Gody will take care of you and will drive you around to feel safe.
Email Sylvia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti Smile is quick, trustworthy and delightful to communicate with
We booked our safari adventure with Serengeti Smile and were extremely pleased with their service. From start to finish, they were quick to respond to any questions we had during the booking process and ahead of travelling. When we arrived at Arusha airport in the morning, we were greeted by our driver and guide Benson, who helped with our luggage and then drove us to our first destination, the Lake Manyara National Park. While we drove there, he told us all sorts of interesting facts about Tanzania, which we really appreciated. We arrived at Lake Manyara for lunch time, and did see elephants and baboons on our way to the lunch spot. We ate a super delicious boxed lunch at a view point, which had benches and tables and overlooked the lake. After, we continued our game drive and ended our day at the Serena Lodge Lake Manyara, where we spent the night (very nice hotel!). The next day, onward to the Serengeti, with a boxed lunch again and a game drive in the afternoon, a night at the Safari View Luxury Camp (an out of this world tented accommodation, very unique, highly recommend!), and another game drive in the morning. The game drives where truly fantastic and we were in constant awe at all the animals we saw! Benson was in touch with his fellow guides via radio and managed to show us also the more elusive animals there (cheetah and leopard). In the afternoon of the second day, we left the Serengeti and headed towards Ngorongoro Crater. We made a stop at the Olduvai Gorge (which Serengeti Smile kindly organized for us upon our request on short notice), which we found rather disappointing. The museum is small (you'e done in 30 mins to max. 1h) but very nice and informative and there is a view point to see the gorge which is a great photo opportunity - but the prices were ridiculously high for what was on offer (50 dollar per person, which is more expensive than the Louvre in Paris!). After the museum visit, we ended up in the Serena Lodge Ngorongoro, where we spent the night. It was really cold (at 2300m altitude) and the hotel staff thoughtfully brought us warm water bottles to take to bed which made the night very cosy. The next and last day, we visited Ngorongoro Crater. Again, hundreds of animals everywhere, it was stunning! Benson tried to show us some of the approx. 30 rhinos living there and we managed to see three of them from a distance, which completed our 'big 5 sightings'. After the crater, Benson drove us back to Arusha airport (with a boxed lunch stop on the way), from where we continued our holiday. All in all, we had an amazing experience provided by the guys at Serengeti Smile - thank you!
Email Bhupendra | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome Company
Fantastic what’s app communication from the UK with the service provided beyond our expectations for 12 people with various dietary requirements. The tour was truly unforgettable in terms of value for money, reliability and the organisation skills in caring for the varied age group from 11 years to the mid seventies was truly remarkable. My birthday celebration in Serengeti was out of this world!!!
LU
Email Sandis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top tour operator, excellent service.
We had an excellent 8 days of safari with Serengeti Smile. The guys are skilled and knowledgeable. The program was just right. The communication went very smoothly. Very good value for money. I strongly recommend this tour guide. Look no further, you will not be disappointed.
