US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive, professional, and flexible tour company that showed us the best of Tanzania's parks!
My girlfriend and I did a 10-day Tanzania safari plus Zanzibar beach vacation with Serengeti Smile, and we have nothing but great things to say about the company and the experience. Frank was extremely responsive and patient with our many requests and questions during the planning phase. He also helped to customize the itinerary so that we could fit in everything we wanted. (If you have a specific hotel that you want to stay at or a park that you want to visit, just ask!).
During our safari, we visited Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park. Each one was unique, and we still can't decide which was our favorite. (Rainy season is probably not the best time of year for Lake Manyara, as the animals move elsewhere, but we had our most intimate encounter with a herd of elephants there!)
All of the logistics during the trip were very well organized and took all of the stress out of the travel during our visit. Our guide Champion was phenomenal - he was knowledgeable, entertaining, prompt, reliable, and flexible. When we decided we needed to take a half day off from game drives to relax, he retooled our plan to meet our needs. He was always on time to pick us up, and he provided just the right amount of information - enough to feel like we were really learning about the wildlife, landscape, and country, but not so much that we felt overwhelmed.
Each of the hotels we stayed at was incredible - great rooms, beautiful views, nice restaurants, and very friendly, helpful staff. The game drives were the best part - we traveled in late mid to late April, which is supposedly the height of rainy season. It rained heavily most nights, but during the day the weather was perfect - cool enough to keep us comfortable, and just the right amount of clouds to make for stunning photos. Our guide felt bad that we didn't see as many animals in the Serengeti as he would have liked due to the high grasses of rainy season, but we saw way more than we were expecting. Dozens of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and lions, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras, wildebeest, impalas, and gazelles. And the birds were incredible! Maybe we got lucky during rainy season, but we highly recommend April for the low crowds and enjoyable weather. (Zanzibar was a bit of a different story, as it rained pretty steadily about half of the time, but the other half was sunny and beautiful).
We have just two pieces of advice for travelers, and neither one is meant to reflect negatively on Serengeti Smile. First, beware of the gift shops you may stop at during the safari. At least during the low season, the prices they initial cite for you are outrageous, and many the items that they swear are locally made are the same souvenirs you can buy in countries throughout the region and continent. (I found the same coasters that I had bought in Uganda 10 years ago for $10, and the shop in Tanzania initially asked for $60 for them!). You can negotiate the prices down significantly, but it can be an anxiety-producing experience for those who are not used to bargaining.
Second, we 100% loved the parks we visited near Arusha and would happily go back some day, but we probably don't need to go back to Zanzibar. It is a beautiful place and there are plenty of activities to do, but the economy is based on tourism, so you are constantly hassled by people selling goods and services as soon as you set foot outside your hotel (and sometimes inside of it, when outsiders pass on the beach and try to discretely offer you things until security shoos them away). And after five days of feeling pleasantly isolated in the national parks, the stop and go traffic jams of Stonetown were a bit jarring. That said, the Stonetown tour itself was very interesting and informative, and if you've always wanted to visit Zanzibar, by all means do it, as it is a fascinating place with a unique history. But if you are debating between Zanzibar and a safari, we recommend the safari!
This is the first tour package I've done, so I can't speak to how the value compares to other trips, but we certainly felt like the trip was well worth the expense. Thank you to Serengeti Smile for an enjoyable and unforgettable experience!
SA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great All Inclusive trip
We had an excellent all inclusive trip to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park. The two lodges offered great, but distinct experiences. Over six days we had multiple game drives. We saw elephants, cape buffaloes, kudus, bush bucks, giraffes, crocs, hippos and impala, among many other animals. We visited the falls twice, including by helicopter. It was worth the cost, due to the quality and uniqueness of the accommodations, food, and available drinks. Staff at both lodges and the guides were always available and flexible to our last minute changes to itineraries, based on our energy. I recommend buying the multi entry visa when you arrive in Zimbabwe, if you are going to Botswana. I also recommend flying Airlink from Johannesburg, rather than Fast Jet.
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent service
Alex always find good places for us to take photos. We had an amazing experience even though it was almost rain season. The foods and landscapes were great.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Stunning country
We had a wonderful safari with Wildlife Safaris. We had Hoppy as our guide. He was simply quite brilliant; helpful, caring, friendly and so knowledgeable. We looked at various companies for our safari; Do not hesitate to book this company. Everything was wonderful from start to finish. We saw so many animals (apart from the elusive leopard) and enjoyed wonderful breakfasts overlooking the Sabie river hippos, after our early morning game drives.
The rest of South Africa is so beautiful. If you can cope with the emotions of seeing terrible poverty while you enjoy luxury, then you must go!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
South Africa is full of scenic beauty, good food, great people and adventure all around.
I love south Africa. there is soo much going on. from great Beaches to scenic landscapes with great weather and let us not forget the wildlife. (never trust the Monkeys though). My recent trip was the Second time I've been to south Africa and I loved discovering new places I Have not seen before. There's Truly something for everyone. and I'm constantly surprised why south African "Braii" and wine is not more internationally Known. I have such an appreciation for South Africa that I often forget I'm in a foreign country. If I ever Learn to speak Swahili or Afrikaans I'm going to set up shop somewhere in the bush with a pack of wild dogs and maybe a leopard or two and sell Biltong and Pinotage to Tourists.
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Out of Africa Wildlife beauty
Going to Kenya on Safari is a must if you love to see animals in the wild. I visited the Masai Mara which to me was worth it- I was able to see most animals except for the Rhino and the Lion. I saw several Lionesses but not a Lion. Seeing the animals in the vast expansion of the park was priceless. We also drove to the border of Tanzania and along the Mara river where we saw Hippos and Crocs just hanging out. The final visit was Lake Nakuru where I was lucky to see both the white and black Rhino but I do not recommend this stop. It feels more like a drive-in Zoo, its a much smaller park and you do not get the sense of vastness as in Masai Mara. You can still see many giraffes, Zebras and war hogs but in comparison to Masai Mara not worth it. The lake is also far and the flamingos you don't really see. On safari the packed lunches and picnics are disappointing, wether low or mid-range budget. This is for sure an aspect they need to improve. We had some vehicles problems that delayer our trip considerably but the tour operator managed to get us to our destination by hopping on other tours.
The people in the country were very nice and welcoming. There is a good food scene in Nairobi with lots of modern fusions and foodie places to explore. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Karen Blixen museum having read the book and seeing the movie I wanted to visit the site. There are many areas in Nairobi where you can shop and mingle with the locals, we did not feel unsafe at any moment and found everyone very kind.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional care and service. Gary and his "boss" went above and beyond.
My travel companions and I chose the 4 day experience. Technically it is really a 3 day experience, because the last day they provide airport transportation. I feel they go above and beyond in making sure they are providing their customers with a safe, exciting and exceptional experience. Gari was our driver/guide in Zimbabwe, and was friendly, helpful, and courteous. Gari either made sure we were where we needed to be or provided his own guide trip to the Victoria Falls. He even provided the rain gear, which is most necessary. Gari and his "boss" Mr T. went above and beyond when Delta postponed our flight by a day, by helping to make sure that the connecting airline would change our reservation. They then made sure we got to the airport on time, a day later. They are always willing to provide any additional things that you would like to see and do. If you looking for a guided tour company, this is the one to use, and one that I would have no hesitation in using again.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worry free tour!
Cultural vibes took care of every detail when arranging our flight over Victoria Falls. We had some logistical issues around scheduling and they worked with us to meet every challenge. Great company to work with!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Morningstar was attentive and professional in delivering a great safari!
I was able to squeeze a 2-day safari to Amboseli into work travel in Kenya. Rahab was very attentive and made the entire booking and payment process easy, even on short notice. Alex was an excellent driver and really attentive to my interests in birding as well as seeking out big game, and he helped forge unforgettable memories of one of the elephant herds with their tiny babies. Their recommendation to stay overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge was spot on, and I book with them again when I am next back in the area.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
CHRIS AND HOPESON WERE AMAZING
Had the best time with Chris and HOPESON on the safari in Kruger. Couldn’t recommend this enough! 100000/10