35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Once in a Lifetime
We are already planning our next trip - that is how unbelievably incredible it was. From getting off the plane we were taken care of by Philomena and Sam. They accommodated our every need and they were especially considerate and wonderful with our 14month old. Philomena, what a gem of a person. We needed help with visas last minute (our parent brain mush just let it slip) she sorted us out in less than 24hours. I landed and needed a hospital for our baby, she called around and found the right place that we needed to go. I had so much guilt about being difficult guests and she just smiled and put me at ease with her kind words! Her efforts for us on a Saturday in the middle of Niarobi, I was blown away and so grateful for her.
For me Kenya was a bucket list destination and man it didn’t disappoint - it was unforgettable and it was down to the people who made it happen. When you are in a car allll day, you really get to know the person guiding you. We got to know Sam and we adore him! His wealth of knowledge and his eagle eyes for spotting animals is incredible. His kindness, banter and ability to be comfortable in silence is our kind of company. He told us at the start of the trip that we would see lion everyday, coming from South Africa and visiting the Kruger my whole life I thought that this was optimistic but Sam was true to his word. Everyday we saw cats, multiple prides in a day. We were only there for 4 days and I saw more in that time than my entire life going to the Kruger - I was blown away. We saw absolutely everything and had magnificent moments where we were the only vehicle sitting with animals. When we return we will go with Sam again. He is truly the BEST! And if you have small children - this man looks out for them as if they are his own. He catered his driving to our little one, stopped whenever we needed too, soothed her when she cried and called her the strongest girl in the world. His patience with her was so endearing and I honestly was so grateful for it.
I could go on but the bottom line is we weren’t there for long enough and we cannot wait to go back. We left a piece of our hearts in Kenya and with all the people we met. Ashe Mara, ashe oleng!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 days Safari in Tanzania and 9 days Beach in Zanzibar
The Service was excellent and the Tour Guide (Samuel) in Tanzania was perfect.
Thanks for the experience
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
My safari with Serengeti Smile was honestly one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. From the very beginning, the communication was smooth and professional. They were responsive, clear, and helped tailor the itinerary exactly to what I was looking for.
What really made the trip exceptional was our guide, Pius. He was absolutely fantastic - knowledgeable, patient, and incredibly passionate about the wildlife and landscapes. He had an amazing eye for spotting animals (often before anyone else even noticed them!) and took the time to explain behaviours, ecosystems, and local insights in a way that made the entire experience so much richer.
I also want to highlight Piniel, our sales representative, who was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. He was always responsive, attentive, and consistently checked in with us before and during the trip to make sure everything was going smoothly. That level of care and follow-through really stood out and gave us a lot of confidence.
The service throughout the trip was seamless. Everything ran on time, the accommodations were well-chosen, and you could tell the team genuinely cared about delivering a great experience. In terms of value for money, I felt it was excellent, especially considering the quality of guiding and overall organisation.
Most importantly, the safari itself was unforgettable. From witnessing incredible wildlife in the Serengeti to the breathtaking views across the plains, every day felt like something out of a documentary.
I would highly recommend Serengeti Smile to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania. If you can, definitely ask for Pius. You’ll be in the best hands.
MX
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip ever
When you just past the first day, you already think that anything cant be better but traveling with Lush will make you ask that every single day, they know exactly the places, spots, stories, hotels, food, everything was amazing.
If i could be able to do this trip in the future, i wont even search for anyone else, the attention since you contact them, they make you feel that traveling to Africa is so easy, you dont need to worry about anything.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Deeply knowledgeable and hugely efficient
We have just returned from our first trip with Luxury Safari and I have to say from start to finish they were just incredible.
This was a big trip for us as a family, something that was years in the making in our minds and Rose and her team just made the whole experience magical and effortless. It was our first time doing a trip like this with our young children which initially felt a little daunting but Luxury Safari took all of those worries away.
I am so pleased we didn’t try and do a trip like this on our own - without doubt we will use Luxury Safari again.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patient and competent advice
Tammy made our safari a truly special highlight. We followed her advice and did not regret it for a second. Our safari was simply amazing and will stay with us forever.
Tammy was very patient during the consultation and answered every question quickly and competently. We would recommend her at any time and would gladly rely on her again for our next trip to South Africa.
CA
Umkumbe lodge rocks
We have nothing but praise for our bush experience with Umkumbe and our guide Pieter and our tracker Phineas. The game drives were exciting and successful in finding all the big game we hoped for. Pieter has deep knowledge of the wildlife and got us to some awesome viewing positions. We always had a refreshment break, one morning even fresh crepes with fruit and whipped cream. The camp itself is top shelf with very helpful and pleasant staff and excellent meals. I have no suggestions for improvements. It was all so great.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent all round!
We had a very seamless experience with Nhlalala Travel. We actually found them through reviews and they were not lying. Norman really was so good with communication from start to finish. It was great value for money and we would definitely recommend. We were picked up from our hotel in Joburg and driven to Kruger gate hotel with two lovely drivers - one of which was Normans brother (only tiny feedback was quite fast and erratic driving!). They were lovely and chatty in the car and so polite and welcoming. But also respected when we wanted a little nap.
The organisation of the safari drives was seamless and on the Saturday main drive, we were actually the only people in our vehicle so felt very special.
Thanks so much to the whole team!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Communicative and well executed.
From the planning to the execution, everything was easy and enjoyable.
Excellent tour, well designed, great tour leader
Our full day tour of Soweto with lunch and then the apartheid museum was excellent. Carson our tour leader did a fabulous job of providing interesting history and folklore about our various sites. Additionally, he was an excellent driver and answered a lot of our general questions about South Africa and the Pretoria and Johannesburg area. We had an excellent lunch of Local fare. Throughout our trip, we felt well cared for and safe. I would highly recommend this store company, and if I had more time in Johannesburg, I would ask for Carson to be my guide again.