Kili Serengeti Guides
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- TTB & ATA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email leetah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mixed feelings
I had a great time in Tanzania, but I am somewhat disappointed that I cannot "rave" about the services offered by Kili Serengeti guides. Perhaps it is because I had just come from Kenya with an outstanding guide, so it was natural to make comparisons (and that may be unfair).
The Good:
KS Guides met my group at the Kilimanjaro airport upon arrival, arranged all transfers, hotel accommodations, and activities. The price was extremely reasonable and we did everything we set out to do! Most meals were included, so once we had paid the guides (cash upon arrival), there was very little need for any cash on hand throughout our stay, other than for souvenirs, tips, and incidentals. The safari vehicle we took to Ngorongoro Crater was great - large enough to accommodate the group, comfortable, the top popped up (like most safari vehicles), which made the experience more enjoyable. By the way, the crater itself was AMAZING! Definitely go there if it's on your list; you WILL see a ton of animals. KS guides brought in some local guides when we visited Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Chagga village/caves/coffee plantation. Those local guides were wonderful - friendly and informative, easy to talk to, accommodating, etc.
The Bad:
With the exception of our day trip to Ngorongoro Crater, we were driven around in a small mini-van (actually, it was smaller than a mini-van, but I don't know how else to describe it) that was not very comfortable for my group. There was just enough space for our luggage in the back, but we felt like we had to cram ourselves into the vehicle, climbing over seats at times because the mechanism for the front seat to fold forward got stuck. A couple of the seat belts were non-functional as well, which was a huge concern for one member of my group since they work in a safety-related field. In general, the van was not comfortable, the AC did not work so we were hot (I could overlook this - it IS Africa, after all, I expected to be hot - however, it could be a problem for some). The windows on all except the front of the vehicle were also tinted with an incredibly dark tint, which made it nearly impossible to enjoy any of the sights we were passing and made it seem dark much earlier than when it actually was. Additionally, we took this vehicle down dirt roads with pot holes that it was simply not intended for. There were times when we weren't sure the vehicle was going to make it, and we wondered why KS guides had opted for this van vs. the safari SUV that we had taken previously, which was more capable of handling this type of terrain. We were given no explanation for the change in vehicles, and I can only imagine it was a cost-saving effort for them, since the van likely consumed less fuel.
Okay, enough about the uncomfortable ride... I also was not pleased with the first hotel we stayed at in Arusha. The accommodations were just so-so and there was a loud generator outside my window, making it difficult to sleep. Breakfast was supposed to be included but did not start until after we needed to leave in the morning, so they packed a "boxed breakfast" for us to go, which was nice; however, it was essentially nothing but bread. We also didn't get any coffee as they did not have "to go" cups available.
Finally, I need to speak about the guides themselves. There were 2 people with us most of the time. I am not sure why, as they did not seem to actually DO anything special, since they also picked up local guides for some of the places we went (making us all less comfortable in the already too-small vehicle because the new local guide joined us in the van!) I initially thought there were 2 to share in the driving when we went to Ngorongoro since that is quite a long drive/day. However, that was the one time that we did NOT have two people with us, which didn't make sense at all. The driver who took us to the crater did give some "tour guide" type information about the animals, but generally only when we asked. Perhaps this speaks to a lack of experience, but I have had much more involved guides in the past. These guys were more like escorts, which is fine, if that's what you want. It just wasn't what I was expecting. On the days when we had local guides, there were still 2 KS guides with us. At one point when we stopped to visit a waterfall, we had 4 (or 5) different people with us. This was awkward since most of them didn't say anything and yet tipping your guide is part of the local culture, so it felt like a ploy to get more tips out of us. We opted to tip the one local guide who rode with us in the van because he was friendly, informative and just generally great at what he did! We did not tip the extra people who were milling about that day.
All in all, I wouldn't say I had a bad experience. KS guides did take us to some amazing places and they arranged everything for us ahead of time. They were very responsive via email. However, the actual guides themselves were a little less personable than I was expecting for someone who does this for a living, and they did not communicate well with us in person, which led me to feeling frustrated at times.
Reply from Kili Serengeti Guides
Posted on Feb 26, 2018Dear Lateeh,
We Kindly appreciate your feedback and our sincere apology for our services setbacks. As a business owner, I promise to work on them and I will make sure such kind of setback will never happen in future.Thank you very much and wish you all the best in your Life. Welcome to Kili Serengeti Guides.
With thanks
Emman Elisante
Managing Director
Kili Serengeti Guides
DE
Email Manuel | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing time, super guide!
Everything worked out very well, reliable service very friendly guys. We did see all big five. Went with all my family (2 adult, 3 girls ) to lake manjara and Ngorongoro Crater.
Thank you soo much for this great time. Thank you, Mike and Emman, for your perfect job! !
DE
Email Alfredo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The 2-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing - Marangu Route was really nice!!
We enjoyed 2 days at Mount Kilimanjaro hiking along the Marangu Route, the experience was very interesting
DE
Email TJ | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
great job accommodating a very demanding group in a short amount of time!
Safari tour was great with a nice spacious jeep. Had an amazing time at Ngorongoro crater, waterfall, Mt Kilimanjaro observation and view point, then a great tour of a coffee plantation at the Chaga caves! A little uncomfortable/ cramped in a different vehicle for in between transportion with a big group but doable. A little difficult with the communication with language barriers and itinerary but they did a great job overall and really tried to accommodate everyones needs.
Reply from Kili Serengeti Guides
Posted on Jan 25, 2018Dear Tasha,
I am pleased and happy to receive this nice review for Kili Serengeti Guides to move on and improve more! Our passion is to deliver the best service to our clients, whatever it takes. Hence, it is truly a wonderful feeling that we have delivered well and made you happy in your 2 days safari holiday in Tanzania!
I have considered all comments and I will work on it properly to make sure it won't happen again. Thank you again and your most welcome anytime.
With thanks
Emman Elisante
Managing Director
SA
Email Emmanuel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Got lost looking for the short cut to Northern Serengeti but the experience was one of a kind
Actual vs. Expectation: We were promised that we'll be able to witness the great wildebeest migration from Serengeti to Maasai Mara but it never happened as we got lost looking for "that short cut" or what our driver calls "Wazu" to Northern Serengeti. However, it was a unique experience. We were able to see outlandish landscapes such as semi-barren grazing lands dotted with tree-tall termite hills. We also had a chance to do off-roading on a dry river bed. We were also able to have more interaction with the Maasai people. Best part of our being lost was our overnight stay in a Maasai Boma near the Kenyan border. Through that, we were able experience spontaneous Maasai hospitality first hand (which I prefer versus the relatively commercialized/semi-rehearsed Maasai Boma tour near Ngorongoro). We also had an unplanned reroute around scenic Lake Natron where we saw thousands of pink flamingoes. In my opinion, all these were good comprises for not being able to see the great migration.
Service: John's cooking is really superb. I don't normally like spaghetti but his take was phenomenal that I had a second round. His beef recipe was also A+. On the other hand, despite our mishaps during Day 1, I think our lead driver-guide Mike was able to handle the situation professionally. The rest of the safari crew was also very supportive. They were quick in setting camp and in attending to our every need.
Rating: I could have given a "5" if we were able to follow the original itinerary and was able to witness the great migration. I would say planning, prior research and coordination with authorities especially when taking unconventional safari routes are areas for improvement. Still, service was great and I can only say positive things about the professionalism that we experienced from the safari crew.
Reply from Kili Serengeti Guides
Posted on Jan 25, 2018Dear Emmanuel,
We are happy to receive this nice review for Kili Serengeti Guides to move on and improve more!
I have considered all comments and next time we will do a research for new route before the trip start. And I promise that next time it won't happen again.
Our passion is to deliver the best service to our clients, whatever it takes. Hence, it is truly a wonderful feeling that we have delivered well and made you happy in your 2 days safari holiday in Tanzania!
Thank you again and your most welcome anytime.
With thanks
Emman Elisante
Managing Director
PH
Email Mars Garcia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience!
Climbing Kilimanjaro was tough, beautiful and overwhelmingly exciting! The Kili Serengeti Guides were superbly helpful, accomodating, well mannered and speaks English fluently. They are kindhearted and happy people. I will definitely contact Imma and co. when I go to Tanzania again, even recommends my experience with them to my family and friends.
Great host, all are helpful and encouraging
All in all it was great. Although there are still rooms for improvements but hey this is africa.. as they say it hakuna matata! You don't have to worry everything will run smoothly! Thanks guys! We had so much fun!
CZ
Email Jakub and Barbora | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best!!!!! We loved it!!!!
This company is the jackpot. We had marvelous time with them. They took great care of us. The vibe was very very friendly and profesional in the same time. They don't overcharge you as we asked for prices from diferent companies as well. If I came again, I would definitely go with them again. AHSANTE SANA
Jakub and Barbora
CN
Email Emily HE | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
High-Value Safari Experience
After planning my itinerary, I contacted over 50 tour operators for quotes, and I ultimately chose Kili Serengeti Guides. It turned out to be a very wise decision.
During the initial communication phase, Emman replied promptly to emails, always polite and warm. Most importantly, he was extremely reliable. He addressed every one of my complex requests, which many of the other tour operators I contacted couldn't do. After paying the deposit, he proactively kept me updated on accommodation confirmations and waitlists for each day. He was always ready with answers to any questions I had.
Upon arriving in Tanzania, our guide and driver, Mike, had eagle eyes and could spot animals from a great distance. His driving skills were exceptional, navigating through a muddy patch where other vehicles would have turned back. He was experienced, composed, and expressed himself in simple and understandable English. He was easy-going, patient, and got along with us very well. He went out of his way to fulfill any of our requests, helping us to the best of his ability and answering any questions we had. He led us to witness the Big Five and we saw over thirty lions. When we wanted to have watermelon, he took us to a local fruit market and helped us negotiate prices with the locals. When we were concerned about flight changes, he took us to the airport for confirmation. He exuded a great deal of personal charm, and after spending a week with him, we were all reluctant to part ways.
KSG offered very reasonable pricing, and the guide's service was impeccable. This safari was absolutely perfect and left us with wonderful memories. I highly recommend choosing KSG!
NL
Email Nicole Sipers | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best!!!
We had an unforgettable, amazing, fantastic, Safari with the best guide ever.
We will never forget these days and are forever etched in our memories.
Our guide Mike engaged with us every minute of the day.
Told a lot.
And the last day before our departure he was also our taxi driver.
Thank you Thank you Thank you for everything.
And the price is not too expensive either!
Grt. Nicole and Klaus.
Ingrid and Bass.
(automatic translation from Dutch)
