US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Benjamin was everything we could have wished for as a tour guide and companion on our journey
Our 18-day tour was fantastic! Siya Phambile has earned our highest praise for the location’s chosen, the amount of animals that we saw, Benjamin’s knowledge and identification of animals, insects and plants and even his culinary abilities. Benjamin went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed everything. We definitely felt we got our money’s worth. We would highly recommend Siya Phambile to anyone wanting to take a memorable safari experience.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flexible and responsive booking agent made for great safari experience
I had a great 3-day safari experience overall. Expedicion de Superheroes was my booking agent and helped organize additional transport for me to/from Moshi. I respect the fact that he honored a lower price for my transportation after he had misquoted me initially.
The safari itself was operated by Avocet Safaris. Our safari guide, Bakari, was knowledgeable and went out of his way to make sure we were able to successfully see the Big Five over our three days in Serengeti and Ngorongoro. I still marvel at his ability to navigate those rough African "roads". Food and overall atmosphere were also excellent throughout. Truly a memorable experience!
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A phantastic experience with a unique guide
For the background: Our trip with Lucas was a '21 Nights Tailor Made Trip', just for the two of us, leading us to Ntwetwe Pan, Nxai Pan, Tsodilo, Moremi, Kwai, Savuti, and Chobe River front starting in Maun and ending in Kasane.
Once we finished our joint planning, Lucas wrote in an email 'this journey will change your life' - and it did! Lucas guided us as guests into the realm of the wild animals of Botswana so that we felt close and welcome. With his extensive experience and profound knowledge of the entire fauna and flora he both taught and entertained us, but most memorable of all, he led us to many overwhelming encounters with fascinating animals both big and small, including all the iconic safari mammals, but also rare species like wild dogs, many birds, and more. These encounters felt new, surprising, and somehow even more exciting every day.
Our game drives usually started from and ended at our tent camps, where Lucas and his team, Mosa (the chef), Monametsi and Gisto, pampered us in every conceivable way and in a warm-hearted, almost family-like atmosphere. Delicious food and drinks, perfect camping facilities for the bush, very professional organization, and not to forget the smiles and laughter complemented our phantastic game drive experiences.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Safari Experience
Spirit of Tanzania provided us with an exceptional experience! Vincent and all of the guides were very friendly, especially Abdul. The experience itself was incredible, we saw soooo many animals, even leopards and white rhinos, the hardest to find. We were with Abdul for 4 days, and I don't think there was a single question he didn't know the answer. Many thanks to Vincent, John, Abdul, and Nathan -- it was the trip of a lifetime!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable family trip - highly recommended
We had an amazing vacation and would highly recommend booking through Makasa! Everything was well-organized by Selma, and she offered great suggestions for our itinerary and accommodations. When we had to postpone our trip due to serious illness, they were incredibly flexible and rebooked everything, allowing us to enjoy our vacation later when we were in good health. We really appreciated that!
Jacob, our guide, was fantastic! He has an extensive knowledge of nature, animals, and culture, and explained everything clearly. He was patient, calm, and had a great sense of humor. He also made sure we traveled safely, navigating the bumpy roads with skill. And, thanks to him, we got to see the Big 5!
We also had a wonderful experience at Kimbilio, the camp owned by Makasa. The camp was small and located in a quieter part of the Serengeti, which made it feel intimate and peaceful. The staff were incredibly friendly, the food was delicious, and we had a lot of fun playing card games and laughing together!
Overall, it was a memorable and exceptional trip, and we’re grateful to the entire Makasa team for making it all possible! Asante Makasa!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience with an excellent guide
Our guide Jeff gave my family and I a fantastic tour of the Nairobi National Park. Prior to the day of tour, he gave us tips to prepare ourselves for the game drive such as what to carry and expect. To start off the day, Jeff arrive at our designated pick-up spot on time and patiently waited while my family ran alittle behind on time. At the park, he was very friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. After the drive, we stopped by the gift shop and took our time shopping and enjoyed mini-picnic packed lunch. It is obvious that Jeff has a passion for what he does! We intend to tour several more parks with him during our next vacation in Kenya.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super
The Safari was an incredible Experience, the accomondation in the national Park was very comfortable and the guide was a really nice and funny guy, which made the experience Even better
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Blessed with nature, scenery and important historical learnings
Wonderful country rich in wildlife, nature and culture. Found it very easy to navigate and met many lovely folk
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I love Kenya
Kenya was super,we liked from Apodiformes adventure, our driver Dickson to lodges, safary and beach hotel
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible experience with a few caveats
I had never been particularly interested in visiting Tanzania, and the idea that safaris were quite expensive had always kept me from considering this option. However, when I started researching, I realized that it was possible to do a safari on a budget. I quickly understood that the price of safaris can rarely go much below €200 per day due to the cost of park entry fees. And here a controversial question arises: where does this money actually go?
It’s clear that the money paid for park entry fees gets 'lost' in the hands of the government, which fails to attract more tourism precisely because it doesn’t create better conditions outside the parks. It’s a shame to see that a country like Tanzania isn’t more developed, especially when tourists contribute so much through park entry fees.
A clear example… The minimum wage in Tanzania is less than €60, yet a foreign tourist or visitor staying at a camp inside Serengeti National Park during peak season pays around €150 per adult for every 24 hours.
Is it worth it? IT’S ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT! But at the same time, we understand that tourists are mainly helping the Tanzanian government get 'easy money,' because outside the parks, we see that nothing is being done to improve the quality of life.
When it comes to the tour agencies that organize these safaris, we encounter another 'system' designed to enrich the owners, while asking tourists to cover the salaries of the guide and support staff.
As a European, I’m not accustomed to tipping culture, and I don’t agree with it. If I pay for a safari, I expect to be paying for EVERYTHING… including a fair wage for the guide, the chef, and anyone assigned by the company to the safari. One day before starting the safari, we received
a document guide on the 'tip' we were expected to give at the end of the safari to our guide, cook, and other staff members.
According to the document, each person was expected to tip the guide $25 per day. Do you know the salary that the company I chose pays the guide? $25 per day! And this amount (the $25 that the company pays the guide) is the same whether it’s a low-budget safari or a luxury safari where tourists easily pay around €2000–€3000 per person for the experience. Is that fair? It doesn’t seem so to me.
That being said, I have to say that I loved the experience... but I wish Tanzania would start to understand that it needs to build a better infrastructure, and that starts with using the money that tourists leave in the country to improve the conditions within the country itself.