US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Doug Greenberg
Masai Mara is an amazing place, and it has the advantage (I think) of remaining wet and green pretty much throughout the year. When my wife and I visited in September, we saw huge numbers of wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, and other ungulates, as well as many lions, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, and a large variety of birds. Although we visited several other Kenyan parks and also the highlights of northern Tanzania (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, and Tanagire), Masai Mara was our favorite destination. It is much smaller than the Serengeti to the south, but it still offers stunning wildlife viewing and a fantastic safari experience.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Amboseli National Park by Doug Greenberg
Amboseli is located not far from Kilamanjaro, but the atmosphere is often very hazy so the mountain itself is barely visible. The park has good accommodations and features significant wildlife, including elephants, wildebeests, zebras, hyenas, and lots of other animals and birds. During the dry season (when we visited) the park overall has a parched appearance, but the wildlife tends to congregate around the remaining waterholes and the lake. Overall, it is a worthwhile destination for people wishing to see African wildlife.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing wildlife experience right on the edge of the big city
My wife and I went on a ten-day safari to Kenya and northern Tanzania in September 2019. We visited the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tanagire and Amboseli National Parks. The adventure involved a lot of sitting in safari vehicles, but the trip was amazing overall. Upon returning, I realized that perhaps the smartest thing we did in planning the journey was to start by visiting Nairobi National Park, just outside Nairobi itself. This is a small but amazing preserve in which we saw an impressive variety of wildlife and birds in just a few hours. It was the only place we saw a rhinoceros during the entire trip, and we also saw lions, zebras, impalas, hartebeest, vervet monkeys, baboons, giraffes, buffalo, warthogs, Ostriches, Little bee-eaters, White- bellied bustards, and a huge variety of other birds. There are no elephants in this park, but that is hardly a major issue in light of how many animals do live within the reserve. There was a "hippo pond" that comprised perhaps the highlight of the park. There we saw birds galore, including Malechite kingfisher, Sacred ibis, Blacksmith lapwing, Black-winged stilt, and African fish eagle, as well as a large monitor lizard and of course, hippos. The park is relatively small, and our driver gave us what seemed like a complete tour within a couple of hours.
The entrance to the park is a little intimidating, as there are armed guards and, as is typical of Nairobi generally, a high degree of security. Since we were with a professional guide, however, we were able to just hang back and let him take care of the payment, paperwork, and direction. Overall, the Nairobi National Park proved an amazing place to spend an afternoon, and I recommend it to anyone visiting Nairobi or beginning a safari in that city.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very steep journey!!!
We went on Safari for 3 days with a guide ally. Strongly recommend. We were delighted with the journey. We saw all the animals, bathed in the waterfall. Thanks to Ally for a great Safari in Mikumi Park.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely Amazing
This trip was the first stop on our African Honeymoon and I would not have changed a thing. We had a fantastic time and loved all of the amazing and thoughtful details of our trip. We had THE MOST amazing guide, Abrie, who was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. He made our trip exceptional. I cannot express how much we loved our trip and how the planning was all taken care of. Thank you so much for such an amazing trip and honeymoon!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Kenya by Doug Greenberg
Kenya is self-evidently one of the best destinations in Africa to see wildlife. There are many animals within the large preserves such as Masai Mara National Reserve and the several national parks, and there even is an urban gem of a national park just outside of Nairobi. There are many safari outfitters to choose from, and despite (or because of) the sometimes intimidating levels of security, the experience seems very safe for tourists. It is sad that so much of the country no longer features significant wildlife, but it is fortunate that there are so many game reserves and parks. With prudent prior planning, a visitor can enjoy an amazing safari in Kenya.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful Tour Operator--Disappointed in the Southern Circuit
In early August 2019 I began a safari arranged through Afrishare Trekking and Safaris headed by Mr. Ibrahim Mkwizu. I discovered his company after doing some thorough research on the internet though I have traveled to Tanzania some 6 or 7 times before (total of about three months including two successful climbs of Kilimanjaro), I decided to use a different safari organizer. The reviews of his company were outstanding. In addition to his company, I contacted two other companies to organize a safari of the Southern Circuit including Selous, Mikumi, Ruaha and Zanzibar. The Southern Circuit was the preference of the tour participants. I asked each company to provide a proposal.
Upon receipt of the proposals, Afrishare was the least expensive and their communications in arranging for the safari were prompt and clear. Before making the commitment, I asked Afrishare to provide several names of people in the United States who had used their services. They willingly did so which gave me an important comfort level. The references confirmed the most positive ratings of Afrishare and also Ibrahim. This was true throughout the 9 month period leading up to the safari. What I thought was to be a safari of 6 or 7 people turned out to be a group of 19 people as members of the community learned that I was returning to Tanzania.
We corresponded during the months leading up to the safari making slight adjustments to the itinerary as more people signed up and as new ideas emerged. Ibrahim's responses were always prompt almost too prompt as on some occasions he did not respond for two or three days to only learn that he was on safari or away attending conferences.
Our group needed three vehicles and the safari experience was outstanding. See my comments at the end about the Southern Circuit. The guides were professional both in their knowledge and attitude and some of the safari participants are still communicating with the guides. It appears that some have made long lasting friendships. The use of multiple vehicles was beneficial because on some days, not all the travelers wished to stay our all day. Thus it was possible for one of the vehicles to return back to the lodge following lunch.
Ibrahim's attention to detail was great while we were on safari. I was delighted to see that he greeted us in Dar es Salaam upon arrival in Tanzania though he is located several hundred miles away in Moshe Further, he served as our guide in Dar. Our total trip about 13 days was not without its issues. For example, one of our vehicles broke down in Selous (this is not the first time that this has happened to me). Most importantly the guides were resourceful, and we continued our safari drives that day. Ibrahim arranged for another vehicle by the following morning so that we could proceed with our safari. A few other minor glitches were resolved quickly as Ibrahim was available to make the necessary changes. I give him much credit for doing this. It is important to know that the safari organizer is available and needed when you are on safari.
At the conclusion of the safari, we were returning from a 3 night stay in Zanzibar by ferry and much to my surprise and delight, Ibrahim was there again to greet us again. He wanted to make certain that our transfer to the airport went smoothly.
I cannot say enough good things about Ibrahim and his company. I am in the process of arranging for another safari for 2021 and look forward to working with him again.
In closing let me make some general observations about the Southern Circuit. Having done the Northern Circuit including the Serengeti, Tarangire, and Ngorongoro, the Southern Circuit was a bit of a disappointment. We were there in the dry season which according to many of the tour guides is the best time to go. The number of animals was considerably smaller than in the north though we saw lots of elephants and giraffes. The traditional herds of herbivores so common in the north were lacking and as a result so were the predators. That said, the first time safari goers in the group were very pleased. For those of us who had previously traveled north, the south was a letdown. I would not return.
Zanizibar an utter delight. Urge everyone to go.
Those interested in reaching out to me about our trip and our experiences with Afrishare are free to contact me.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
QENP with 31 students
Shoebill were amazing! We were taking 31 students from the UK to Uganda. After spending time in Kibale first, Shoebill took us on a 3 day trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park. An advance catering team had delicious food ready for us when we arrived at Mweya. Drivers were excellent, patient and had good wildlife spotting skills. Would definitely recommend!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Having a great time in Tanzania thanks to Smile with Us.
In the beginning, I had a few questions about our safari. I was very pleased with quick and fulfilling answers from Jacob.
We were picked at the airport and start the route to Mikumi. We spent a half-day in the park and saw many animals. next day on the long way to Selous, we could observe the real life of Tanzanian people and we found very interesting. The third day we spent looking for more animals in the Selous game reserve and we were quite successful. Our driver Hassan was very friendly and knew these parks very well. Thanks to him was our safari trip an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, we cancelled the boat safari and bushwalk because of the heavy rain, but anyway we had a great time during this little adventure. Both camps provided us with nice accommodation and surprised me with their pleasing approach to accommodate my (vegan) diet needs (thanks to Jacob´s involvement).
Thanks to Smile with Us my safari dream came true and we would definitely book a safari with them again and recommend them to our friends and family.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The experience provided by this company exceeded expectations.
Our group of 8 had specific requests to incorporate our vacation to include not just safaris with subsequent visit to Zanzibar, but with a visit to rural Tanzania to meet our son-in-law's family. Our itinerary required 2 vehicles and drivers driving 2 days from Dar es Salaam just to be at the rural airport to take us to two days of family gatherings in 2 different locations close to 300km apart. However all the accommodations were arranged and there was no task that was too challenging as we put together this unique itinerary. Our group was so grateful to be able to relax at the Beach House in Dar es Salaam at the beginning and end of the stay and during the 2 weeks in Tanzania we built a strong rapport with our 2 guides - they were both very knowledgeable and professional. They were always punctual and worked very long days. We were all so grateful for the attention to detail for each day of the itinerary!! We hope to go back again and highly recommend the professionals at Tanzania Explorer.