Mama Savana Safaris

4.8/5 – 196 Reviews

$2,937 to $3,149 pp (USD)

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*This tour does not accept children under 12.
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Our Operations Manager

Our Operations Manager

Mama Savana Safaris

4.8/5  
(196 Reviews)
Office In:
Tanzania Tanzania
Size:
5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
Tour Types:
Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
Destinations:
Kenya KE
Tanzania TZ
Our Operations Manager

Our Operations Manager

Mamasavana is an unique agency on its own, in service of nature lovers and those with a passion for the African savanna. Our company offers unique and special tailor-made itinerary programs for groups and singles, working hand in hand with clients to make their safari an unique experience. Our vast experience favour us in providing you with all the solutions and resolving any need you may have. Our philosophy: simplicity cared in detail.

Reviews196

Disappointed but grateful for the experience
3/5

I went for the 10D9N Kenya and Tanzania tour. If you are a wildlife photographer and your goal is to capture shots that require lots of time, patience and experience on the part of the guide - I would not recommend this, based on my own experience.

I was really looking forward to this trip, and everything went smoothly with liaising with Naomi at the start. I really did enjoy speaking with her and she was exceptionally prompt, thoughtful and service-oriented in her replies. Since I was going to arrive in Kenya early in the morning at 7am, I wanted to make the most of the day and requested to visit Bomas of Kenya and a Masaai market. Naomi said that was ok and told me it would be an additional charge of $55 USD for Boma’s entry fee and transport. I was perfectly fine with that and made full payment.

However, when I finally arrived in Kenya on the first day of the trip and was picked up by Alex, it seemed like he had not been informed of my request — I had to remind him of this additional schedule, which prompted him to contact a driver for me. When the driver, Jimmy, came to pick me up, only then was I informed that the distance between the Bomas of Kenya and Masaai market would be too far, so we had to skip Bomas of Kenya. We went to see a smaller scale performance instead. I wish I had known about this earlier during my conversation with Naomi. I had also already paid for the Bomas of Kenya entrance fee. But I decided to let this go.


Sanita was our guide during our first few days in Kenya. He had great energy and drove very thoughtfully and skilfully. He really tried his best to give us as many wildlife sightings as he could and would even give us the chance to take photos of the same sighting from different positions (by masterfully manoeuvring the vehicle). I was very thankful for Sanita. I didn’t know that these few days would be the best part of the trip.


Once we crossed the border to Tanzania, we had Kombo as our guide. Although he seems like a genuinely kind-hearted soul (he even offered a beanbag for our photography gear), the game drives felt very rushed most of the time. Whenever we spotted something interesting, he wouldn’t stop immediately because he was very concerned about parking properly (which is great for the company - no fines). But within seconds, the animal would have already changed its position or engaged in another form of behaviour - missing these important details can be really challenging from a wildlife photographer’s standpoint. On top of that, we were rarely able to stay at places for long. We always only had about 5-10minutes maximum before Kombo would cite reasons like — we need to let other vehicles get a better view, or that we are in the way of others… Which is very kind and considerate of him for the other people, but it kind of compromised our experience since we had barely even captured enough shots. And sightings of big cats were rare, so of course we wanted to stay there longer. Of course, to be fair, at places like the hippo pool, we were able to spend a long time there. I know that Kombo is a genuinely good person, and he tried to give us a good experience. I am thankful for him, but I believe there was just a mismatch/misalignment in terms of our priorities.

After Tanzania, we crossed the border and went back to Amboseli National Park in Kenya. We had a different Kombo this time round. I felt that he was quite disengaged and uninterested, perhaps because he was tired or going through something, which I can understand since it’s not easy being a driver-guide. But it didn’t negate the fact that it was a pity to be honest as I was hoping that my very first trip to Africa would at least end on a high.. According to the itinerary given by Naomi, we were supposed to have an afternoon game drive in Amboseli and then one final morning game drive the day after till noon. Then we would start heading back to Nairobi to catch our flight (which was at 1am, so we had tons of time to kill). Instead of leaving Amboseli at noon like I had expected, we exited the park around 10am (we only started our morning game drive at 8am). This was really quite disappointing but I was not surprised because our game drives throughout the entire trip would start after sunrise and end before sunset. I assumed that “full day game drives” entailed seeing the sunset, at least… But were never able to stay in any of the national parks to watch the sunset, which really was a pity, but I recognise that I should have communicated this with Naomi prior to the trip — so this is a reminder to myself and to other photographers to clearly communicate with whoever you are liaising with, about your wishes.


Although I find myself leaving Africa feeling quite disappointed, I do acknowledge that there were indeed wonderful parts of the trip, like the accommodations and food were not bad (although we had our water supply cut off in Osinon camp, it was restored the day after which was great. And the staff like Rehema from Osinon was great too) and I really did enjoy liaising with Naomi prior to the trip. I am grateful for having the privilege to experience Kenya and Tanzania at the end of the day, so thank you Mama Savana for this, and I hope things will get better in the future.

Safaris where all the guides went above and beyond to make sure you had a great experience
5/5

My husband and I had an ambitious plan to see 5 parks and reserves in what amounted to 8 days all done in the Mama Safaris Toyota land cruisers with a switch of guides at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. We are first time travelers to this area but have worked in the airline industry for our careers. My desire was for my tourism dollars to go directly to the people there not some US tour company.
From the moment I contacted Mama Savanna Safaris Alex was patient and thorough in answering all questions. Always prompt to respond
especially when I had to figure out the process of wiring a deposit to Tanzania. The emailed tour itinerary was detailed with pictures and answered much of my questions. However be forewarned that the traveler needs to check for the documents need to enter these countries since it can vary by your citizenship. Ran into that with Tanzania where I thought I needed visa only but in reality I also need yellow fever vaccination certificate however you can buy an exemption at the border so I was able to rectify that.

Our driver Sinita with office staff met us at the hotel to exchange funds and arrange a plan to set out. We did view the Toyota Land Cruiser which was comfortable and had charging ports for your phones.. From Nairobi we ventured to Lake Nakuru to see the rhinos and flamingos, Masai Mara to see lions hippos zebras cheetahs and then at the suggestion of our driver Ellie we toured the Masai village which was interesting, next stop two days at Serengeti where we went to the Mara River and after waiting a couple hours was able to see many thousands of wildebeest cross the river in search of better grazing area with Nile crocodiles looking for their opportunity for a meal.
Words just cannot describe how special that was. On Ngorongoro Crater to see lions and hippos. Last stop was Amboseli park in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro to view the herds of elephants that passed within feet of the Toyota Land Cruiser. Our driver Vincent carefully navigating the Landcruiser so se could get the best views.

All the drivers Sinita, Ellie and Vincent were constantly asking if we were enjoying ourselves, and what more they could do for us. thank you to all of them. While with any travel there can be the unexpected, stuck in a stream, nail in a tire, the roads are rough the drivers did stop at repair garages a few times to head off any problems down the road.
oh and to speaks of the accommodations.. Our stays was for a mid range safari which included many tented camps and only two hotels. The tented camps were as good or better than a 4 star hotel. Complete with your own bathroom and hot shower. Meals had something for everyone, good, and even a bar for alcohol purchase. Just really comfortable and so neat to hear the animals with their unique noises at night.

I would highly recommend Mama Safaris without hesitation. Thank you all Alex, Sinita, Ellie and Vincent for a unforgettable trip.



Excellent Kenya trip and poor experience in Tanzania
3/5

We booked a 7-day safari with Mama Savana for August 2026, which included Nakuru Lake (1 night), Masai Mara (2), Serengeti (2), Ngorongoro Crater (1) and after we were supposed to arrive to Moshi.

As we had never visited Africa before, we had so many questions and so many options to consider (for example hot-air-balloon). Alex answered all my questions and made everything clear. Our payments were confirmed fast and generally during the preparation phase everything was okay.

Our journey in Kenya was excellent, we saw Africa’s Big 5. Our driver Sanita did his best, he was always discreet but there for us and did his best for sure. During our transportation from a location to another, he was stopping every 2-3 hours for WC and was careful while driving. Also, Sanita knew every single road in Masai Mara. He went us around the park and stopped for every single animal we wanted to see. Despite his English was poor, we could communicate and understand each other well.
The vehicle was in fair condition. The lodges and camps we stayed in Kenya were good, with kind and helpful staff. The food was delicious and the nature just amazing!

Unfortunately, as to Tanzania, I can’t say the same good words. There were so many things which made us upset. Initially, the vehicle was in a very very bad condition: the seatbelts were useless, the windows couldn't open, neither the doors (from inside), the screenwashers didn't stop working making that terrible irritating noise, the front glass was cracked, the roof was leaking after the rain and control panel was out of order. Altogether the vehicle was unacceptable and even dangerous for such trip like this one.

The day we crossed Isebania borders, we got a flat tire in Serengeti. This didn't happen out of the blue. Since we were trying to get to Serengeti as soon as possible, we were going very fast and our car was fishtailing in gravel road, which was really scary btw, given the condition of both roads and vehicle. Then I told to our driver Joseph to stop for toilet, in order to cool down the speed and because after borders no station was made for this purpose! After 10 minutes we reached Serengeti gates and then we realized that we don't know where we are going! Thus, we were driving back and forth across the Serengeti trying to find our place until we got that flat tire. As a result, we arrived really late and slept a few hours before our flight with hot air balloon and all-day safari! Many thanks to the driver of the hot-air-balloon office who showed us the road that night.

During all-day safari we didn't explore Serengeti at all but were driving around the camp the same roads again and again and again. I imagined that our vehicle was in such bad condition that our driver was afraid to move away and tried to stay near to the camp. Eventually we told Joseph to drive us back to the camp. The safari had already been ruined.

The day we left Serengeti the vehicle had another damage. This time it was fuel tank. So, we were late once again and didn't have enough time to explore Ngorongoro Crater.

The last day instead of Moshi we were going to Arusha despite I told Joseph a thousand times that we were going to Moshi! Still can't get those spontaneous changes in the schedule 🤷🏼‍♀️ As we were told, we were supposed to go to the office and then change the driver 🤷🏼‍♀️ If so, why I wasn't informed prior?

And last but not least. In Tanzania we ate privately with my husband just once in Coffee Lodge due to the lodge policy, while all the other days there we were having our breakfasts, lunches and dinners together with our driver. In my opinion, drivers should be discreet as people come to Africa for holidays and seek private time with their family.

All these things happened in Tanzania degraded the whole experience which in my opinion doesn't correspond to the cost of $ 7,240.00 for 2 pax.

Once a life time experience
5/5

The whole trip was just absolutely amazing and beyond my expectation. Our trip was postponed to September from June due to the Middle East war. The flight was also rescheduled and canceled several times. Gladly we have Naomi, our main contact from Mama Savana Safari, who kindly and patiently helped with the rescheduling, updating the itinerary, changing accommodation, etc. And also our safari guide Livinston, who is kind and knowledgeable, with absolutely sharp eyes. We have not only seen all the animals of interest, but also learnt a lot regarding the whole Savannah wildlife. In short, we visited several national parks and ended the trip at Zanzibar. We have priceless memories from every single place! Will absolutely recommend Mama Savana for everyone!

Absolutely Fantastic !!
5/5

An Unforgettable Kenya & Tanzania Safari with Mama Savana

Our safari through Kenya and Tanzania with Mama Savana was simply outstanding — easily one of the best holidays and tours we’ve ever experienced.

From our very first enquiry to being dropped at our final destination, the team were bloody brilliant! Communication, organisation and attention to detail were first class, meaning all we really had to worry about was keeping the cameras charged and remembering which pocket we’d put the binoculars in.

A huge thank you to Alex and Naomi, who organised our adventure so seamlessly, and to our fantastic drivers and guides, Sanita and Hassan. Their knowledge, professionalism, patience and good humour made them a massive part of our experience. They continually managed to get us into the right place at the right time — sometimes ridiculously so!

From the incredible landscapes and wildlife of Kenya to the endless plains of the Serengeti, the Great Migration and some truly unforgettable wildlife encounters, we were constantly blown away.

We arrived expecting a great African safari. Mama Savana delivered !

Thanks from two extremely happy Kiwis,

Rick & Michelle 🇳🇿

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  • This tour is offered by Mama Savana Safaris, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
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  • This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Mama Savana Safaris.