SMILE WITH US TOURS IN AFRICA 2024
Smile With Us Tours In Africa
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $490 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CY
Email Constantinos | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top operator, we "Smiled With Them" all along. Highly recommended!
Our group of 3 families (10 persons) took the 3-day safari tour at Selous (Nyerere NP). From our first contact with the operator until the end of the tour, everything ran seamlessly, to our full satisfaction (in terms of professionalism, efficiency, speed and quality of service, experience and value for money). The operator was highly efficient and professional. Jacob (their contact person) was always kind and very prompt in responding to our communication, and arranged to pick us up from our hotel in Dar Es Salaam and drive us back straight at the Zanzibar ferry terminal on Day 3, which helped avoid the hassle/cost of additional transportation arrangements.
On day 1, we arrived at Jimbiza Camp (Selous) in the early afternoon, and were greeted with a warm smile by Godson, the person in charge, who was polite, well-organised, always available, and ensured we had a smooth, pleasant and safe stay. Our tents were clean, spacious with all necessary amenities for a safari accommodation (including en suite WC and shower). After a quick lunch at the camp, we had a boat ride on the Rufiji river, saw many hippos, a few crocodiles and various animals and birds, while enjoying a beautiful sunset.
Day 2 was the full safari day in the Nyerere NP by jeep. Kassim and Msafiri, skilled drivers, highly experienced guides, and most of all, persons of remarkable kindness and personalities, drove us smoothly and safely through the rough Tanzanian roads and the Park's terrain. They displayed their experience (and good local information network) in locating several kinds of animals (including a pack of 14 lions), while showing mastery and respect in the way they approached them, causing the least possible disturbance (as opposed to a number of 'kamikaze' drivers around us, who clumsily drove at high speeds towards the animals, scaring them away.) Our guides also had an extensive knowledge of the animal and plant ecosystem, and shared with us interesting insights on the Park's species and the environment.
On the 3rd day, instead of the usual 'morning walk in the jungle', Kassim noticed our interest to visit a Maasai village, and was kind enough to arrange a visit through his own contacts with the tribe's chief. We spent about 2 hours there, in what proved for us to be a highly educational interaction with these unique, proud and hospitable people.
We are thankful to the operator, and most of all our remarkable guides, for one of the best experiences of our lives. First-time safari visitors should bear in mind that this is wild nature, and seeing all animals you would hope for involves an element of chance. So cherish the experience as it comes, and appreciate what you will be lucky enough to encounter.
Email Hilary | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent - ultimate experience and great value for money
We can find no fault at all with smile with us safari tour. From beginning to end they were exceptional. Great communicators and our guide Kassim was brilliant.
He discovered our love of birds and went out of his way to find all bird species as well as the big animals. Nothing was too much trouble. A private trip for just us at a price that would be cheap for a group tour. And Kassim went out of his way to make sure we were not in the rat run of safari jeeps all chasing the same animals…. We were nearly always alone and saw absolutely everything and at really close range! An absolutely faultless trip - we cannot thank you enough for making memories to last a lifetime
US
Email Austin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unrivaled professionalism and service
My wife and I took a private one day fly in fly out safari from Zanzibar to Nyerere National Park (used to be called Selous Game Reserve) during the latter portion of rainy season, mid-May.
Firstly, our amazing experience began with a request for a quote. Within 1 hour we had a quote and a deeply detailed layout of our trip from the pickup point at our resort in Nungwi beach to Nyerere and then back to our resort. I had a few questions for Jacob, my contact, through email which were promptly answered. So within 48 hours I confidently booked with Smile With Us Tours. Payment through PesaPal (a Tanzanian PayPal of sorts) was quick and easy.
On the day before our safari, the taxi driver (Nurdin) contacted us through WhatsApp to confirm our pickup and drop off. Nurdin was so very kind and willing to share his knowledge of his home with us. Most importantly, he was a safe driver.
On the day of the Safari we woke up early and met Nurdin who took us to the small departure gates that housed flights to Safari airstrips. The plane was a ~30 passenger double prop plane. The landing at Nyerere (as it is on any dirt runway in a small plane) is not as cushioned as a large international flight might be, but don’t let that deter you. It is such a cool experience! At the end of the runway awaits some nice restrooms, a line of safari trucks, and the entrance to Nyerere National Park. Stepping off the plane, we were immediately greeted with a huge smile by our fantastic tour guide Eric.
Eric began by familiarizing us with our 6 seater safari truck. Our safari truck was loaded with a cooler full of ice waters that was easily accessible throughout the trip. The dew that morning had left the seats a little damp, but before we even had the chance to mention it, Eric solved that problem by covering our seats with plastic panchos that were also available for rainy days. When entering the park, we stopped by the park rangers station where we picked up an extra tour guide who was learning the ropes in their tour guide school named Jameson “Jimmy”. Of course, Eric made sure it was ok with us before we added Jimmy as an additional passenger.
Despite being in the park during rainy season, when the foliage is dense and the animals more difficult to see, we had no issue getting many up close encounters with ALMOST all (sneaky lions) of the animals on our list. The guides from different companies are constantly on the radios trying to coordinate their movements to make sure you see the most animals. We were blown away with the variety of animals we saw and our favorites were the wildebeest, hippos, water buffalo, and the baby elephants! If you like giraffes, you are in for a treat! You will see more giraffes than you ever thought possible. You may even be sick of seeing giraffes at the conclusion of your trip!
Nyerere is a gem of a park as it contains many different “biomes” like savannah, wetlands, and dense jungle. Even in the rainy season, it displayed a dry grass savannah with herds of zebra and impala with the occasional wildebeest. 15 minutes later we were driving through a thicket of large, vined trees where a group of baboons were dropping fruits to a small harem of female elephants and their feisty young calves. Fifteen more minutes passed and we reached a sprawling riverbed where hippos and crocodiles were plentiful.
In the morning we had a 20 minute break where all of the safari trucks gathered near the river for coffee, tea, and Tanzanian fried bread (andazi). During the afternoon we stopped for lunch near a lake infested with more hippos than you can possibly begin to count. The lunch area had several metal gazebos where you can get out of the sun and very nice restrooms that were totally unexpected out in the bush. We ate a dish of chicken in curry on a bed of rice with a side of melon.
We finished the tour chasing after lion and hyena tracks, but to no avail. We were close though, as evidenced by several piles of giraffe bones scattered near our search area. Eric and Jimmy both created such an unforgettable experience for me and my wife and I know they are continuing to do the same for all of their tour customers.
The return flight to Zanzibar was peaceful and Nurdin was waiting for us as we walked out of the airport to take us back to our resort in Nungwi. In all, we left our resort at 0400 and returned around 1730 in the evening. If you want a special safari experience but don’t know if a multi-day trek is for you, I would highly suggest this opportunity.
Of note, the price of all the tours is a steal for the experience. However, the difference between a private tour and a group tour is arguably negligible. I would highly suggest a private tour if you feel that way too!
Also of note, while tipping is not mandatory, these guides are extremely skilled at navigating rough terrain, communicating with other guides, and teaching you about their animals, all while using multiple different languages. These gentlemen (from several companies) take pride in their trade and are unbelievably service oriented. They deserve a good tip so make sure to bring some Tanzanian cash!
Safaribookings.com is a terrific site and when my wife and I return to East Africa I will be using them to find my next safari adventure. Hopefully that tour is guided by the hardworking people at Smile With Us Tours!
Email Alex | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous 2 night safari in Nyerere
I was a little nervous about booking a with a local independent operator but I didn’t need to. Jacob put my mind at ease sorting everything out. Our guides picked us up on time from our hotel in Dar es Salaam before driving for just over 4 hours to Nyerere Tented camp where we received a warm welcome and stayed in a fabulous “room”. Our guides drove us to the meeting point of our boat safari and this was brilliant. Our boat guide was fantastic and we saw hippos and baby crocodiles before watching the sunset. The next day our guides took us on a full day drive at Nyerere NP. And although we didn’t see any lions we did see loads of other animals (baboons, elephants including baby’s, giraffe, zebra, impala, crocodiles, hippos, wildebeest, buffalo, hyena & lots of birds). It was a really amazing day. The following morning we were driven for a walking safari, which was ok, a bit more comedy than educational but still saw monkeys & interesting insects. We then had breakfast and were driven back to Dar es Salaam where our ferry tickets to Zanzibar were sorted for us. Jacob also arranged a driver from the ferry to our hotel. Overall a really amazing few days.
DK
Email Mette Tamborg | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Brilliant Safari with Smile with us tours
3 generations went on Safari in Nyerere NP. 2 people had been on safaris before. 4 not.
Our guide, Allen, picked us up from our hotel in Dar. We went to the Nyerere tented camp. Such luxury! We had a lovely lunch. Got picked up by Allen. Went sailing with Shamban and Amin. Saw 30-40 hippos, crocodiles, birds and an elephant. Went back and had a three meal course. Next day pick up early in the morning. Game drive for 7 hours. This was what we wanted. We saw A LOT of animals. The lunch boxes were good. Allen is an amazing guide; knowledgeable, a good driver and punctual. And has the most heartwarming laugh
IT
Email Francesca | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
My partner and I went on a 5 day safari between Mikumi and Nyerere NP. Our driver Salum, who has a great knowledge of the animals and places visited was very good. We managed to see almost all the animals present and we had a memorable experience. The structures in which we stayed were all welcoming and offered buffets for various meals. I would recommend this experience with Smile With Us to everyone
Email Lucy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organized safari at a reasonable price,good communication, helpful information and good guidanc
Was very enjoyed safari having a lot of adventures, good communication,service at point and good guidance
DE
Email Violetta | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari
We had an amazing time in Mikumi and Selous National Park. The communication with the tour operator was really easy and quick. Our guide Salum was the best driver and spotter! He drove very safely and was really experienced. The trip was worth very penny. We can highly recommend this tour (even during rain season)!
NL
Email Roy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, the best tour operator!
What a fantastic experience we had! Everything was arranged to perfection. Our guide Erick is the best guide ever! He has a lot of humor, speaks good English and knows a lot about nature and animals. He does everything to see all the animals. The overnight stay was great. The people were very friendly and the food was really perfect! I can really recommend this reliable party if you are looking for a once in a lifetime safari! We had booked a two-day Selous safari from Zanzibar (Dutch couple).
US
Email Stephen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Accommodating, friendly, knowledgable
My wife and I did a one day Safari - drive from Dar es Saalam to Mikumi (this was actually a last minute change request by myself as we were supposed to go to Nyerere NP, but I found the roads to be too bumpy for my wife earlier in the week, showing that the company is very accommodating). Though we had less time at Mikumi, we left Dar early and the drive was very nice. Our driver handled the roads well. When we got there, we had another local guide take us in on an open safari vehicle (I had requested this for Nyerere, but they were also able to make this happen at Mikumi last minute). He was able to find many of the highlight wildlife for my wife. It ended beautifully with the guide playing some songs from the lion king (Circle of life) as we drove out watching all of the animals. It was a great experience. Recommend!