Makini Tanzania Safari a signature of excellence
Go Makini Tanzania Expedition
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $160 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
KR
Email Hyeongjung Kim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good experience..it was great!
We responded quickly to questions and requests and fulfilled the contract as agreed. And the guide guided the tourists according to their needs.
EC
Email José | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flawless
Since the first contact, everything went amazing, they tailored the Experience exactly how we imagined, and from then on, the most warm and welcoming team, making everything in your power and even more, to make you Feel great.
Our guide during the Safari knew a lot about the animals, and made even the imposible so we got to see all the animals.
CA
Email Robert | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing 5d experience in Tanzania
We had an excellent experience with Makini on our 5 day tour in Tanzania. We visited Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Create. We visited as a family in February 2026.
Our experience started before the tour, working with Nancy at the head office who contacted us directly after our quote request. She was very helpful and proactive as we worked through the finer points of our itinerary, ensured all of the lodges and resorts had space for us on the dates we wanted.
The lodges and resorts we stayed at were all great (Suricata Boma Lodge near Tarangire, Land of Nature Camp in Serengeti, and Farm of Dreams Lodge near Ngorongoro Crater). These places are all very good. The staff are friendly and attentive, the food was delicious, and the accommodations were very comfortable. Special mention for the experience at Land of Nature Camp; being inside Serengeti next to the animals is both very special and a little unnerving. Camp staff were all very alert and conscious of safety, walking with us to and from our tent and the main lodge. This was an important precaution when a pride of lions strolled through the camp at dusk. We heard them communicating through the night as well along with many birds and insects. You are definitely amongst the nature here!
The 4x4 truck used for the trip was very good. It looked basically the same as the vehicles used by most tour providers. Built for the rugged terrain it had no issues along the way. It was comfortable and spacious. The pop-top roof was great and we had a 360-degree view of everything. Binoculars were provided for better viewing of distant animals.
Finally, and most importantly, our driver and tour guide, Gift "Gifty" Roman, skillfully drove us between each location and through the parks on game drives. Gift was friendly, knowledgeable, very punctual and professional. As an expert guide with over 6yrs experience, he had a special knowledge of all parks, allowing him to quickly zero in on specific known animal groups and habitats. He maintained contact with other guides through the day to help find sightings of the more illusive animals. While luck plays an important role in the animals you are able to see on each day, it's extremely important to have a great guide to maximize your chances, and we were very happy to have Gift at the helm of our truck.
Gift was also an encyclopedia of knowledge on each animal, the geography and geology of each area, and Tanzania in general. He has a particularly sound knowledge of all the birds in each park which is no small feat.
It's also no small feat to navigate the roads and highways between Arusha and the various parks. Traffic and road conditions are uncertain, the dirt roads and off-road paths are variable and ever-changing. Gift is everything you want in a guide and driver... professional, safe, efficient, friendly, knowledgeable, and well-connected. Big thanks to Gift for our time with him in Tanzania.
AT
Email Pauli | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Really nice organization and amazing price-benefit-ratio
If your searching for an affordable but really nice Safari, this is the right one! We did 3 days, Serengeti and Ngorongoro and it was amazing! Our Tour guide took the time, we saw so many animals, once we were the only jeep with around 30 Elephants, young and old all together, walking around our jeep, unforgettably, I‘ll never forget this! The camps we stayed overnight were simple but you had everything you needed. Tents were already there, washrooms were okay, views amazing! (Perhaps bring an own roll toiletpaper, it’s not available all the time) The timetable was really nice, breakfast at 6:30 everyday so we didn‘t loose time in the morning and saw many more animals. Incredible! Breakfast was also really nice, the only thing which could be better is the food. It‘s really good, please don‘t get me wrong, just lunch we had at two of three days at 3pm. But with some snacks manageable :)
All in all it was an unforgetable adventure. We really liked the three days, because there‘s a contrast between Serengeti and Ngorongoro, so you can see many different animals (although Serengeti depends on the time of the year, February was really nice because many animals were in the southern part!) and it‘s also not too short nor too long. We can definitely recommend it!!
Fantastic!
Our experience with Makini started with our tour operator Naomi who patiently and expertly created our perfect trip. No detail was left to chance and thanks to her meticulous planning everything worked out perfectly . We were entrusted into the expert hands of Gift, our safari guide, an incredible young man with a deep love for nature which he gently conveyed to us. His knowledge and delicate manners allowed us to live every day at our pace without any imposition on his part. His magic lay in always being in the right place at the right time, whether it be during the game drive our while entering and exiting the parks. This allowed to see a bountiful amount of animals , including not only the BIG FIVE but the UGLY FIVE 😁. One last mention must be made for the superior driving, smooth and able. There is nothing but praise for MAKINI and the people that work in this fabulous group!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!!
DE
Email Kurt Schultz | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
7-day-safari with Makini had excellent guide, was well organized and fulfilled all our expectations
We are a couple and did the tour trough the northern circuit with 4 other persons in a safari jeep. The guide was also the driver and had good experiance to explain about the animals. He found the places to see them and we got really close. He had the skill to find the path esecially in the serengeti what might be not easy. The lodges had every comfort. The staff brought us hot water for shower and even something to warm the bed at Ngorongoro, which is at high sea level and the nights are cold. The game drives lasted from sunrise to sundown except the time that was nesseccary for transfer to the next overnight stay. Lunch was served in the wild at special exiting rest places with wash room. The cook had prepared hot meal in the morning which was good and really enough. The whole trip was expensive because of the entrance fees and lodges prices, which was all covered. We gave the tipps, we felt conveniant with at the end directly to our guide, to the cook and to the drivers we had in Arusha and at Materuni, also to a local guide at the waterfall. In the accomodations there are tipp-boxes, what is to be shared to the staff, so we gave nothing extra.
An unforgettable safari with the unique "Safari Monster" – simply perfect!
From our very first meeting with Simon, also known as The Safari Monster, we immediately felt welcome. He greeted us with a thoughtfully prepared package containing a lunchbox, T-shirts, and a traditional Masai shuka – a fantastic start to our safari.
Simon checked the well-maintained Toyota Land Cruiser daily, ensuring our safety at all times. During the drives, he shared fascinating insights into the animals and culture, answered every question knowledgeably, and always maintained a cheerful demeanor.
Thanks to his extensive network, we were often among the first on the scene for special sightings. He always made sure to give the animals ample space, allowing us to experience them respectfully yet up close.
We would particularly like to highlight the personalized approach to the tours. When our camera malfunctioned, Simon stepped in with his professional equipment and took some amazing photos for us.
During our five-day safari in Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro, we were able to see all of the Big Five – an unforgettable experience. Simon was always punctual and professional, and he also shared captivating stories in the evenings.
... A guide with experience, heart and passion – we can wholeheartedly recommend Simon and Makini Tanzania Safaris and are already looking forward to the next tour with him.
(automatic translation from German)
DE
Email Luc | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experience with Makini
We had the most wonderful time during our 7-day Safari. It started with Naomi, who organized everything beforehand. Our very varied schedule was organized professionally. Thank you to Adrian our guide. You made the whole trip very fun and exciting. We were so happy with the way you took care of us. Also big thanks to Richard for cooking the best food for us.
Sonni & Luc
DE
Email Sonni | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an incredible Safari Experience
The Safari was amazing!!!
We saw so many different animals in just 5 days in the parks (including the big 5 and the ugly 5). Our guide Adrian is such a nice guy and was really professional. We've had so much fun with him.
He found every time good spots to watch the animals as close as possible. --> Elephants and Lions just half a metre from the car.
The food from our Chef Richard was also excellent. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. He did a great Job too.
Furthermore it was an incredible experience with so lovely guys around.
Email Bailey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience - Guide, Hotels, and Itinerary!
We organized a private safari for four people through Makini for 7 days and 6 nights. Nancy was wonderful in helping us plan and organize the trip, helped to choose excellent lodging and was responsive and helpful with questions leading up to the trip and checked on us during the trip. She even had our vehicle fridge stocked with beer and wine which was a nice treat.
The first day we were picked up right in time from the airport and had a lovely tour of Arusha seeing some local markets and a great museum. Some of the stops seemed designed to get us as tourists to purchase tanzanite, spices, or local art items. Remember haggling at these markets should you choose to purchase is expected. Then we had a good protons the day to relax at our hotel which was beautiful and get adjusted to the time and unwind from two days of flying.
Our guide Godfrey met us the second morning and he was fantastic throughout the entire trip. I genuinely don’t understand how he spotted some of the animals he did. We could not believe how many sightings we had. Godfrey was knowledgeable about the land, the wildlife, and knew all of the trails around the Serengeti and Ndutu so well. He also seemed to know and be friendly with most of the other guides and would get heads ip on the radio or phone when there was significant activity which I’m confident led to how many big sightings we were able to enjoy.
Our trip took us through Tarangire, the Serengeti, Ndutu, and the Ngorongoro Crater. In our 6 days actually on game drives we saw a ton of lions including cubs and an attempt at mating, leopards, many cheetahs, cape buffalo, hyenas, warthogs, elephants, giraffe, zebra, black backed and golden jackals, black rhinoceros, antelopes, baboons, dikdiks, gazelles, hippopotamuses, impalas, vervet monkeys, agama lizard, dung beetle, Nile crocodile, eland, topi, bushbuck, hartebeast, wildcat, and of course the incredible wildebeest migration. Godfrey even spotted a wildebeest in labor and we were able to watch her give birth and see a new wildebeest take its first steps which was a highlight of the trip. The size and scope of the migration is truly indescribable. We didn’t do a balloon tour but I’d bet it we old have been incredible in seeing the migration in large scale from above.
In terms of birds we saw greater and lesser flamingo, helmeted Guinea fowl, kori bustards, ostrich, fish eagles, tawny eagles, vultures, marabou storks, grey crowned crane, African golden-weaver, black headed heron, secretary birds, hammerkop, and more.
We stayed at the Arusha Farmhouse, Suricata Boma Lodge, Misako Luxury Camp, Safari Haven Migration Camp, and Ngorongoro Marera View Lodge. The food on the trip was exceptional. There were delicious hot lunches packed for us each day.
Not sure how this worked out, but we didn’t even see a mosquito the entire trip. The price we were quoted and paid was unbeatable. Makinindid an exceptional job for a great price- I would highly recommend to go with Makini.
