35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Wildlife and Scenery
I spent three weeks in Tanzania in October - November 2024 and it was an amazing experience. I had gone mostly for safari and to see the famous animals, this delivered beyond my highest expectactions. I saw lions, leopards, and cheetahs, and all of these with cubs. Two female lions slept in a tree about two metres away form me, the only sounds their breathing and the breeze; I saw a leopard and her baby climb a massive tree together; I saw a momma elephant give her baby a tender stroke and embrace, with her trunk. I saw huge hippos, elegant giraffes, two different types of hyenas, jackels, a small cat called a Serval, and approximately one billion zebras and wildebeasts. I like birdwatching as well, and I saw so many exotic species: Ostriches, African Fish Eagles, the Secretarybird, the Gold Crowned Crake, Vultures, Love Birds, and Verraux's Eagle-Owl, among many, many others (for the bird nerds, I logged nearly 100 species without trying that hard).
The parks I visited were the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangiere, and Lake Manyara; they were all great but I recommend them in that order. For the Serengeti, I stayed in a fixed camp in the park itself for 3 days. This is a more expensive option, but I highly recommend this if your budget allows it: one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I also visited Mwanza and Lake Victoria, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mount Kilimanjaro. These were all worthwhile, with different activities and tones. Mwanza is not very touristy and has good options for birdwatching, hiking and for seeing a bit more of a traditional lifestyle. Dar is very busy but has great shopping and cultural experiences; highly recommend the Tinga Tinga Art Cooperative, which is a treasure trove of wonders. Zanzibar is touristy, but has beautiful beaches and lively nightlife; my top experiences there were Paje Beach, wandering the labyrinth of Stone Town, and eating at the nearby Forodhani Garden Night Market (best on the weekend when it is most lively and fun). Finished my trip hiking on Mount Kilimanjaro which was very scenic, quiet and relaxing, a nice countrast to the bustle of the other places.
There are some challenges, as you find with any developing country; the wi-fi in most places is poor, I recommend getting a local sim card instead (cheap and good service). Some of the domestic travel options can be a bit unreliable; I would avoid buses and ferries if possible, and either fly from place to place, or hire someone to drive you.
But these are minor things, just to mention. Otherwise: the weather is warm, the people are friendly, the food (and local beer) is delicious. And the wildlife and scenery are just: INCREDIBLE. One of the best travel experiences I have had. Kwaheri and assante!
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Amboseli National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
We saw a lot of elephants and cheetahs
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
There were so beautiful and amazing
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Neringa Martinoniene
There were lions!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievably great honeymoon experience
Our experience with Dancing Zebra was absolutely fantastic. We did a 5 day safari in the Northern Serengeti followed by 5 days in Zanzibar on the beach. Jessica took care of basically everything outside of the flights for us, and set us up for an unbelievably great honeymoon experience. After spending a brief overnight in Arusha at Hamerkop, we went to Lemala Kuria Hills in the Northern Serengeti for our safari. The staff, food, and accommodations were fantastic and we felt so special and celebrated while there. A special shout out to Damian and Godwil for taking such great care of us while we were there. The safari itself was also so beautiful and a true life experience, thanks to our guide Steven. We got to see all of the Big 5 in one trip!! We then went to Zanzibar where we got to relax in beautiful Kilindi. We had a personal butler take care of our every need in a private villa there. It was the perfect combination of action / activity and relaxation. My wife and I cannot thank Jessica, the Dancing Zebra Safari, and the staff at Hamerkop, Lemala, and Kilindi enough for a honeymoon to remember.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Comprehensive one-day tour
A comprehensive one-day safari. Our driver was very familiar with the park and knew many great spots to see all types of animals.
After the safari we went to see a local Maasai tribe. There we learned a lot about the Maasai culture. It is good to see local businesses support local people.
Samwel was a great host, and helped me out a great deal.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best gorilla experience ever
We went gorilla trekking in Rwanda at the end of October 2024. This highlight came at the end of an exceptionally beautiful trip through the country. Thanks to our driver “Diddie”, we were able to experience the country and its people in their most beautiful form. We were able to experience chimpanzees up close in Nyungwe National Park. We had a wonderful trip along Lake KIVU and always had friendly contact with the people in the country. But the highlight was without doubt the trek to the gorillas. After an hour and a half walk through the rainforest of the Virunga Mountains, we were able to experience a family of 23 gorillas up close and personal for over an hour. I would describe this experience as the highlight of all my wildlife experiences and would never want to miss it. Thanks to Hermosa Travels and especially our driver Diddie, our trip in Rwanda will remain an unforgettable experience
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great 100%
Great service, great safari, great food and hospitality, great everything. First time doing safari and we are 100% satisfied with camp lilac mikumi. Starting from the customer service app where we received all the help we needed, to the kindness of every single person of the camp. Would recommend to everyone
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They are communicative, reliable, affordable, and friendly operator that made my experience perfect!
Real review from a young Midwest couple - BEST TIME EVER WITH THE AMAZING SAFARI GUIDE PUIS!!! If you are lucky enough to have a chance to travel to Tanzania, use Serengeti Smile! Hopefully you are lucky enough to plan the trip with Albert and have Puis as your guide, seriously we can’t get over what an outstanding man Puis is! This 10 day package is perfect for young couples, a group of friends, family trip, or work or school event! If you wanted to make your stay more romantic or adventurous, Albert was very communicative and easy to work with. He upgraded a few of our stays to make the trip work for us! Asked about food allergies/ preferences, was on top of updates and sending them out, and so kind and understanding.
Trip planning:
So my husband and I researched safaris in Tanzania for a bit, we wanted something with safari and beach in Zanzibar! We sent interest to a few companies on safaribooking that made sense for us and Albert, our direct contact, was persistent in a very HELPFUL way. He was a pleasure to work with and to be honest, he made our trip happen in a VERY short notice since we were so back and forth on where we wanted to go. He was able to find alternative stays with short notice since everything was booked and was very communicative through email. We had a driver waiting for us no problem at 3 AM, in Kilimanjaro ready to take us to our first stay and we booked the trip two days prior. I know it’s what we paid for, but we CANNOT get over how kind, calm, and understanding everyone was. I felt so safe and trust this company, Albert, and Puis tremendously.
Lodging/ Food:
For lodging we stayed at Arusha Animal Planet Lodge, Marera Valley Lodge, and Safari View Camp (our favorite), for the safari portion. The first two stays were so nice in their own right for obvious reasons, amazing views and great food, but the tented camp was easily the best… we were in the middle of Serengeti, you could hear everything, see nothing, you were really just out there with the animals. The staff was so kind, welcoming, and seriously best food of the trip. No joke, the chef here is legit. The camp was so peaceful and relaxing, we had the best time.
When comparing to other groups especially during lunch and cruisers we’d say it was pretty comparable. At the end of the day, you spend most of the safari in your cruiser with your guide (puis is the best)… They were very comparable. The cruiser had plenty of room, charging, cold bottled water, open windows, and roof that opens. A Toyota Land Cruiser to be extract, pretty standard, everyone had them. Every morning, I was impressed to see Puis had a clean fresh car for us to start everyday, it gets very dusty after a long day of driving. He also always had a boxed lunch for us/ made sure we were fed. The main difference was some groups brought their lunch in proper picnic boxes and had proper silverware… for us, personally we thought that was a bit much. We were very happy with our delicious boxed lunch, we’re in the jungle with wild animals, having a proper meal feels like a bit much but to each their own. To emphasize, that was the biggest difference between us and some other groups. I’m sure if you really wanted that, you could get it but I find that a bit unnecessary. Puis joined us for all of our delicious meals, he’s great company!
Safari Guide: we’re making a whole section for Puis because we don’t deserve him. Talk about an outstanding gentleman! Our first night was rough, we came in early in the morning exhausted, our plan was to meet for breakfast at 8:30 and go on safari… well we accidentally slept until 10, we ran out of the room feeling terrible hoping our guide was still there… Puis was patiently waiting for us, asked if we were ok and completely understood our situation and insisted we go eat something before going on the road. Not once did he make us feel bad, instead wanted to make sure we were okay. The next day I was feeling sick, as I always do when I travel, he kept checking in, making sure I didn’t need the doctor or medicine. We felt so safe the whole time we were with him. Not that you shouldn’t feel safe here, but more because we felt taken care of because he cared about us and because he knows where to go and who to ask for support. Moreover, we noticed Puis is friends with just about everyone everywhere. I swear, anywhere we stopped he had a friend there, it was awesome because he is clearly a local, and we thought that enhanced the experience. Most importantly, Puis knows what he’s talking about. He was very informative of sharing his knowledge of the animals, landscape, and the people. We learned so much from him and had fun in the process. We managed to see all of the Big 5 and plenty of other big and small animals! We are going to miss him and we’re so lucky to have gotten a guide as cool as him! A huge part of positive experience is because of him and we’re so thankful!
Last thing, I know in the states everyone is scared of getting scammed, Serengeti Smile was absolutely not, quite the opposite.
I hope this review was helpful, highly recommend booking if you have not already!
SG
Outstanding Safari Experience!
I recently had an unforgettable experience (26-31 Oct 24)with Wild Kruger Travel , made even more special by the outstanding travel expertise and personalized touch provided by Mr. Johan. From the initial planning stages,
Johan provided prompt responses to all our questions, ensuring we felt confident and well-prepared for our trip. His attention to detail truly stood out, and he went above and beyond to make our experience special.
Upon arrival, Johan arranged to meet us in person, warmly welcoming us and ensuring we had everything we needed. He even surprised us with a thoughtful gift, adding a personal touch that made us feel incredibly valued. Throughout the journey, the arrangements were seamless, allowing us to fully enjoy the beauty of Kruger without a single worry.
One of the highlights of our trip was the game drive led by Mr. Andre Joubert, an expert guide thoughtfully arranged by Johan. Andre’s knowledge of the area and wildlife was impressive, enriching our experience with insights and close-up views of the stunning wildlife. His passion and professionalism made the drive feel exciting and safe, enhancing our appreciation for the landscape and its animals.
This trip was seamless, exciting, well-organized, and full of memorable experiences, all thanks to Johan’s exceptional planning and the expertise of Wild Kruger’s team. If you’re looking for a travel company that will make your journey truly special, I highly recommend Wild Kruger Travel and especially Johan and Andre for their remarkable service.
