Serengeti Green Tanzania
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2021)
- Member Of:
- TTB & AMREF
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Kelly | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything You Need to Know!
Serengeti Green Tanzania is fantastic. Booking a Safari can be stressful and Davies made the experience as smooth as possible. Before we began researching places to go and companies to work with, we had no idea just how many options there are to choose from. It was overwhelming. This review includes all the things that we wish we knew beforehand. We hope you find it helpful!
1. Picking a Company - We first chose our destination (Tanzania) based on the national parks we wanted to visit then decided how long we wanted to go for. Safaribookings.com is great because you can filter the options based on what you want. Still, there are hundreds to choose from. We picked 3 that most aligned with what we wanted and sent emails. Serengeti Green was the first to respond, provided the most information, and was consistently available to answer all questions. I don’t believe we waited more than 1-2 days for a response. This was one of the main reasons we chose them. Reliable communication was important to us when making such a big trip/purchase. Even throughout the trip, Davies was constantly available via Whatsapp and checked in on us to ensure we were having a great experience.
2. Payment - Serengeti Green provided options for payment including via credit card through an online site or an international wire transfer through a bank. You could pay a deposit of 30% beforehand and the remainder in person upon arrival, or 100% beforehand. We opted to pay the deposit via wire transfer as the website for credit card payment did not have good reviews re: security and sending such a large sum of money to a foreign country was nerve wracking to us. We paid the rest in cash upon arrival. A Wire transfer can take a few days to be received and Davies let us know as soon as he got it (it took approx. 2 days). After we sent our deposit, we made a change to our trip and had to send a little bit more money. When doing this, our bank/we made an error and put the address of Serengeti Green on the transfer rather than the address of the bank. I did not catch this mistake until a few days had passed and Davies had not received the money. I went to my bank and unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to resolve it. Once a wire transfer is sent, the money is gone. However, everything turned out OK! Because the account number and all other information was correct, it eventually made its way to the right account but this took approx. 3 weeks and caused me lots of stress. So, this is a reminder to review the wire transfer information very closely before sending it!
3. When Things Go Wrong - It was apparent that Serengeti Green put in a lot of effort to ensure our trip went off without a hitch, and for the most part it did. One thing did occur, out of their control, when our flight to Zanzibar got cancelled. Although we were bummed to miss a day on the beach, the Arusha Airport Terminal is outside, it was a beautiful day, and there was cold beer. We made the most of it! Davies expressed such concern for the upset in our plans, ensured we had food to eat during our wait for the next flight, and was genuinely concerned about the impact this had on our trip. This was completely out of his control but he wanted to do whatever he could to ensure we had a good time, and that was greatly appreciated. I can only imagine that if we had any true challenges during our trip that it would have been dealt with in such a professional manner.
4. Customization - What you see as trip options online can be adjusted! We picked the trip that aligned best with our plans, but changed the start date and added some extra activities! Don’t be afraid to ask to make adjustments to make the trip what you want! They were extremely flexible and accommodating.
5. Guide - Our guide was Goodluck. He was fantastic. He communicated everything that was necessary, had a wealth of knowledge about the parks and animals, and also let us relax. When you spend a lot of time in a car with a person you don’t know, sometimes you feel the need to constantly talk and socialize (or maybe that’s just a Canadian thing?) and that can be tiring. Goodluck was very social but also encouraged us to relax on long trips, take naps if needed, or just enjoy comfortable silence. We were lucky enough to see the Big 5 which is part luck and part guide experience in my opinion! 10/10 guide.
6. Maasai Village - When travelling into Serengeti National Park your guide may give you the option to visit a Maasai tribe for a tour. This includes observation/joining in on a traditional dance, wearing their traditional clothing/necklaces, and touring inside the village. There is a cost of $50 (for 2 people) associated. We were not aware of the cost initially and did opt to do this, however, when we got there and were told the price and saw more of what the tour was, we actually passed. It totally depends on what your interests and perspective is, but this type of tour just wasn’t for us!
7. Midrange Value, Facilities, & Food - We opted for midrange as it fit best in our budget. I was quite impressed with all the accommodations and had expected to be ‘roughing it’ a bit more. I would equate the hotels to your typical Holiday Inn or other hotel chain in Canada, and the tented camp was more like ‘glamping’ with a shower and running water included in the tent. All accommodations had free Wi-Fi, including the tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti. Some of the lunch spots throughout the parks also had free wifi. There were bathrooms with running water throughout the national parks and we were able to make frequent stops as needed. There were also cold water bottles available at all times. The breakfast and dinner options at the hotels were great. The boxed lunches were pretty standard day to day and included sandwiches, eggs, fruit, juice, bread, etc. There was lots of variety and options for Western-type foods for breakfast and dinner. My husband tends to be a picky eater and was well fed throughout. If you are worried, bring some protein bars or snacks with you! From what I could tell, upgrading to luxury would likely give you fancier accommodations and maybe more Western food options. Regardless, we are all in the same Toyota Landcruisers to commute, on the same bumpy roads - unless you upgrade enough to travel via plane between Parks. There are landing strips in some of them.
8. Money - We are Canadian and brought USD. We wish we had brought a lot more dollar bills rather than $5, $10, and $20s. Everywhere accepted USD and a lot of places also accepted credit cards so we used a mix of both.
9. Adding a Balloon Safari - 10/10 recommend this. I added this as a gift for my husband's birthday, and although it is expensive ($500 USD pp), it was incredibly worth it and I would do it again. It is an early start to your day depending on where you are traveling from. We were up at 330am for an hour drive to the launch site. There are bathrooms there and they served coffee while explaining how the balloons work. We spent 1 hour 15 minutes in flight, landed with a champagne toast, then drove 45 minutes for a full english breakfast in the bush. We did a private safari so this was a nice change as we met new people and got to socialize a bit. We were finished by approx. 11am and spent the rest of the day on a game drive.
10. Parks - We spent 1 day in Tarangire National Park, 2 days in Serengeti National Park, 1 day at the Ngorogoro Crater, and 1 day at Lake Manyara. If you have less time I would highly recommend making sure you at least go to Serengeti and the Crater. Those were our favourite but all were amazing. It was very cool to see the changes in scenery and vegetation between all the parks, and the drive out of the crater was one of my favourite views - it was incredibly beautiful. All that being said, it is important to be prepared for long car rides. In Canada, this is the norm for a lot of people and did not bother us. However, we do have family in the UK who find a 30 minute drive to be a long trip so I feel it is important to say that you may have a 4 hour trip by car on roads that are very bumpy. For example - it took us 1.5 hours to drive from our tented camp to the exit of Serengeti National Park - and then another 2 hours to get to the next park. Be prepared for this! The scenery between parks can be beautiful and it was also interesting to drive through different villages and cities and see what life in Tanzania looks like!
11. Vaccinations - We went to a travel vaccine clinic beforehand and got all the recommended vaccinations and preventative measures including Malaria pills. We also took everything that we could to prevent traveller’s diarrhea and had no issues with stomach upset on the trip. What you do re: vaccinations is obviously up to you, with the exception of the Yellow Fever Vaccine. Depending on what country you are entering from, Tanzania may require you to show proof of this vaccine. Kenya is one of the countries that it is required and we had a long layover in Kenya (9 hours) but did not leave the airport. Technically, you only need it if you spent >12 hours in Kenya (or something along those lines) and our Nurse Practitioner offered to write a letter we could provide to Tanzania Customs stating why we don’t have it. However, we were concerned that if our flight got delayed and we spent 12+ hours in Kenya, even if we didn’t leave the airport, that we would be denied entry to Tanzania without the vaccination. If this occurred, even if we got the vaccination that day in Tanzania, you have to have it for 10 days prior to being allowed entry. Our trip was only 10 days and rather than risk missing out on everything - we got the vaccine. It was expensive in Canada $300+ dollars, but may be covered by additional benefits/insurance by your employer (part of mine was). When we landed in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro International Airport we were asked to show proof of vaccination so I am glad we had it.
12. Zanzibar - The island is beautiful! We spent one night in Stone Town and 3 nights in Nungwi and both were amazing. We were not aware that the majority of the island is Muslim which means that any Muslim owned business does not serve alcohol. We do drink and on a beach vacation do enjoy having a few, but this was not a big deal. There are lots of places a short walk down the beach that do serve alcohol and lots of hotels that serve alcohol that you can visit - we just happened to be at two that did not and didn’t even think to ask Davies when booking. If this is important to you, let Davies know and I am sure accommodations can be adjusted. I suspect that these hotels are more $ as they are typically Western owned (e.g., next door to our hotel was a DoubleTree by Hilton).
13. Prices - We have travelled quite a bit globally and were expecting that food, excursions, etc. would be cheaper than in North America. This was not the case. Maybe it's a post-COVID change, maybe it’s because tourism is their main industry, who knows - but be prepared to spend near normal prices for good. Example - $4-5 per beer, $10 per cocktail, $25 for bottles of wine, and average prices for any memorabilia/trinkets. Some places you can barter, others you cannot, sometimes bartering is not very successful.
14. Road-Side Stands - Our guide had us stop at a few roadside vendors which offered art, trinkets, etc. We weren’t really interested in making multiple stops but after a few he informed us that when tour companies stop, the shops keep track of their name, and at the end of the year will donate things like binoculars, animal guides, etc.. Once we knew this, we were happy to stop!
Overall, it was a trip of a lifetime and Serengeti Green helped make it perfect! We couldn’t recommend them enough!
Email Neeta | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely fantastic safari tour
The service provided by Davies at Serengeti Green Tanzania was excellent he kept us informed throughout every stage of booking from the safari parks, lodges to booking internal flights. The entire tour was booked with care taking all into account what we want, every part of the tour was worth the money and Davies and his team tour guides we were with were trust worthy and reliable. Thank you so much for organising and giving us a memorable experience we will cherish. We highly recommend Serengeti green Tanzania and we hope to see you very soon!
GR
Email Eleni | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A really experienced tour operator
It’s a lifetime experience! The trip was well organised and our driver really experienced. His name is Good Luck and we totally recommend him. He explained everything to us and we managed to see all the animals we wanted, even the rare ones. He also took us to a Maasai village in order to learn about their culture (we paid an extra fee to the Maasai for this visit). Please don’t miss Serengeti! If you have a good safari guide, it will give you the most unforgettable adventure of your life!
Asante sana!!!
GR
Email Teo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best safari in Tanzania
The best Safari experience in Tanzania! You need to try it! Serengeti is massive and you need an experienced driver to move around. Goodluck (yes that is his name) is an expert and very knowledgeable driver and guide. We got the best views! Do not miss it!
SE
Email David Green | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just one word - great!
Back in Arusha after 4 days of just great Safari with Serengetti Green Tanzania as our tour operator!
- Not granted, but we managed 5/5 of the big 5. This is thanks to our fantsic guide, Shedrack!
- Knowledged, humble, happy and all in proffesional guide!
- Dialogue before our trip - all good!
- Davies came to meet us before departure from Arusha - appreciated!
Also checked in over WhatsApp during our trip - proffesional!
- Safe, don’t taking any stupid risks
- Skilled driving!
- Family of 5.
2 adults and 3 children (15/13/10)
- Both hot and cold weather. Remember to bring clothing for that.
- Very dusty and shaky roads, especially between Ngorongoro Gate and Sernegetti. The Landcruisers are made for this, so don’t worry. We had 2 flat tireas during the trip.
All handled 100 % of our great Shedrack.
- Plan for different type of lodges.
We stayed at Eileens Tree Inn, Luxury View Camp and Kuhama Camp.
Check them out, and you will see yourself.
Just great, but different experience at all sites! Very cool to stay at the camps, sleeping in tents, listening to all sounds.
- Cash is best. TSH or USD. Cards also work at most places.
- Tip box at each lodge/camp. No need to give to each person.
- Felt 100 % secure at all locations.
- Not much negative to write about.
July/August is peak season, so if you don’t like seeing a lot of safari cars, plan for another period.
We were aware of this and the only negative were some waiting time at the different Check-in gates…but what are a couple of minutes waiting…on a holiday!
Asante sana to Serengetti Green Tanzania and our sincere thanks to Davies and Shedrack!
CN
Email Jean | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Serengeti Green Tanzania became my chosen partner after contacting many travel agencies. Our travel planner, Davies, is the most professional, patient, and flexible tourism worker I have ever met. I studied tourism in college and worked as a tour guide for some time after graduation. I deeply understand that a tourism worker's responsibility and dedication are far more important than the size of the company itself. After contacting many travel agencies, including some well-known and larger ones, I chose Serengeti Green. It turned out that my choice was absolutely correct. All our itineraries were carried out according to the pre-arranged plans, including the guides I specified beforehand. The Serengeti Green Tanzania team was highly professional.
Our airport transfer and citywalk tour guide was Frank. He is an extremely sincere, kind, and warm-hearted young man who took care of all our needs, continuously explaining everything to us, and taking us to all the must-visit places in the city. His English is excellent, and we liked him very much. Our safari guide was Good Luck, who has extensive safari experience and always managed to take us to the closest points to the animals for photos. He is very familiar with the geography of various national parks and could immediately react and drive us to the spots where animals were reported on the radio.
When my companion lost their passport during the trip, Davies and Good Luck promptly and proactively helped us find it. The people of Tanzania are so warm and friendly, and this land left us with endless emotions and deep memories. I believe Serengeti Green Tanzania Company is definitely worth choosing and trusting.
Email Peter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari ever!!
This was the most amazing safari experience. The trip was expertly planned and organised by the team (Davies) at Serengeti Green in the lead up to our safari. They planned an amazing itinerary and were very flexible with the requests we had. We were picked up at the airport by a driver and from that moment onward we were in great hands and didn’t have to worry about a thing.
Our safari driver Mr Goodluck was an amazing guide who went above and beyond every single day to provide us with such amazing experiences. We saw countless animals and had incredible encounters every day. He was also very knowledgeable about everything.
We will definitely come back and would recommend this to anyone looking for an incredible safari experience!
Email Adalia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best safari we have ever done!
Mr Goodluck from Serengeti Green was an absolutely amazing safari driver who went above and beyond to show us the best of every park.
We accomplished the big 5 and only just missed the ugly 5.
In the lead up to the safari, Davies organised everything from head to toe and responded to all our questions very promptly. This made planning the safari so easy and seamless and took all the weight off our shoulders. We didn’t have to worry about a thing!
We will definitely be coming back and doing more safaris and would definitely recommend these guys!
Peter & Adalia
HK
Email Maurice | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amidst a sea of options for tour operators, Serengeti Green sets a gold standard.
We reached out to well over ten companies on this website, but ultimately decided on Serengeti Green, because their level of servicing was already the best prior to making any selection. Davies was very communicative, and helped accommodate any request we had on places we wanted to visit, and hotels or camps we wanted to stay at.
Most importantly, we had a phenomenal guide in David during our entire trip. He consistently attended to our every request. He ws extremely knowledgeable, efficient, reliable, capable, and above all, a safe driver. We couldn't have asked for more. Everything was simply perfect. He gave us ample time to take photos, and put in the extra effort to help us find worthy sights. It was a result of his hard work and intuition that got us to the better spot to view and experience the infamous great wildebeest migration across the Mara River. It has been a wonderful holiday with David as our guide, and we could not have asked for more.
IT
Email Maria | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
David was fun, kind, a great driver and knew where to find all the animals.
We had our safari with Serengeti Green Tanzania in July 2024, one of the most wonderful adventures of our lives. We did the safari with my husband and two sons and were privileged to have David as our guide.
David was fun, kind, a great driver and knew where to find all the animals. We saw lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wild beasts, giraffes, hippos, antilops, gazelles, hyenas, crocodiles, pink flamingos, monkeys, babouins.
Our journey and stay exceeded any expectation: we experienced luxury camps within Serengeti's outstanding natural beauty, hotels with clean and comfortable rooms, excellent food and facilities with respect to the natural environment, wonderful hotel staff available to address all our needs. The beauty of Tanzanian people and Tanzania is out of this world. Within few days we found ourselves immersed from the savannah's shrubs and Baobabs, to Ngorongoro's brown and the green of the jungle, experiencing a paradise of biodiversity.
Asante sana David and Davies for the unique journey. Stay cool. Akuna Matata!