Mama Savana Safaris

Excellent Kenya trip and poor experience in Tanzania

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.