Serengeti Smile Team
Serengeti Smile
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2020)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Tourist Board & AMREF FLYING DOCTORS INSURANCE
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $160 to $1,200 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
NI
Email Bosco Ortega | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best decision we could have made.
Where to start? First, I want to clarify that I wrote this review in Spanish and am translating it into English because I found it difficult to locate information in my own language before getting started; I began by spending hours reading comments and reviews on TripAdvisor, social media, and SafariBookings (the companies' official website).
The information available online is overwhelming; there are over 300 accredited safari companies—a mix of foreign and local operators. We decided on a local company called Serengeti Smiles. Jeremiah was the person responsible for answering all my questions; despite the time difference, he was always attentive and helpful. We took an 8-day, 7-night tour covering Tarangire, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Zanzibar.
Regarding hotels: on the first day, we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha on a flight from Doha and stayed at the Green Mountain Hotel. Our guide, Champion, picked us up early the next day to begin the journey. He was the best choice of tour guide we could have made; having a guide like him makes an incredible difference. We started by paying the remaining balance for the tour at the Serengeti Smiles offices—which were on our route—since we had paid a 30% deposit to book and needed to pay the remaining 70% in cash upon arrival in Tanzania (keep in mind that the banknotes must be large denominations and printed in recent years). Afterward, we arrived at Tarangire National Park, where the safari began. Champion handled everything, including the check-in, and got us into the park very quickly. Upon entering, we managed to see our first animals—wildebeests, zebras, ostriches, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, antelopes, and baboons—as well as the famous baobab trees. It was only the first day, yet I felt like I had already seen all the animals; I had even spotted one of the "Big Five." Afterwards, we went to sleep at Karatu Classic View Lodge; the welcome was lovely—customer service was 110/100, and we were greeted with hibiscus juice. The food was excellent, and in the evening, they held a beautiful dance and ceremony. Breakfast was a full buffet featuring beef, chicken, and pork—everything was delicious.
On Day 2, we headed to Serengeti National Park. We saw many lions, cheetahs, elephants, and leopards; we had already spotted three of the "Big Five" animals. We spent the night at Classic View Camp in Central Serengeti. On the third day, we continued through the Serengeti, spotting many birds, giraffes, lions, and antelopes. We ate out on the savanna while waiting for the Great Migration, and we finally managed to see thousands of wildebeest and zebras crossing the Mara River. We witnessed nature in action, watching crocodiles feed on the crossing wildebeest. That night, we slept in the bush again—in fully equipped rooms with private bathrooms—listening to lions roar in the dark; it was impressive, yet we felt safe thanks to the guards stationed outside. The camp was called Serengeti Classic View Migration Camp. The next day, we continued our journey and saw hippos, jackals, lions, hyenas, and more leopards. We returned to Karatu Classic View Lodge to sleep before heading to Ngorongoro the following day to conclude the safari; there, we spotted rhinos and buffalo, completing our sighting of the "Big Five." Ngorongoro is stunning, the weather is amazing, and the animals can be seen in an environment that is more comfortable for them. Afterward, we flew to Zanzibar and stayed for three nights: one night at Villa Unaweza Matemwe and two nights at Villa Kiva.
I highly recommend this company without a doubt; I had checked quotes from many others, but their price was reasonable, and their customer service is outstanding.
And above all, our guide, Champion, really impressed us with his knowledge and his constant effort to find all the animals. We will certainly return with the same company and the same guide.
MT
Email Kendra | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Book with Serengeti smile!!
Will definitely recommend this company!
To start with I want to praise samuel our guide for his excellent job during the safari. He is very professional and very knowledgeable about this work. I admire his passion towards his work - he gave us alot of information all the time. We are thankful for his service. We are very grateful for samuels dedication to make sure we are happy. Thanks to samuel we also managed to see all the big five within our 6day safari.
Francisca our operator was helpful from the minute we contacted her, sending us very detailed itineraries and also accomodated us with the best itinerary possible. She ensured the trip is as successful as meant to be - she messaged us even during the safari to check on us. Helped in any way possible and also made sure I celebrated my birthday with a cake!
Thankyou to both for making our trip a super memorable one. It was amazing and I totally recommend serengeti smiles.
CH
Email Jasmin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
Champion made our journey truly special. He managed to take all of our wishes into account and gave us exactly the experiences we had hoped for – and so much more.
Thanks to his experience, we always found fantastic viewpoints and had incredible opportunities to observe the animals in their natural habitat. During our six-day safari, we actually managed to see all of the Big Five – and we owe a huge part of that to Champion and his amazing instinct for knowing exactly where to be at the right time.
Champion is incredibly attentive, considerate, helpful, empathetic, and also has a great sense of humor. Throughout the entire journey, we always felt safe, well taken care of, and completely comfortable.
What impressed us especially was his incredible knowledge. He shared so much with us about the animals, the different places we visited, and his country. You can truly feel how well he knows and loves his home and how much he enjoys sharing his knowledge with his guests.
We are incredibly grateful that we had the opportunity to experience this journey with Champion. He was not just our guide – he played a huge part in making these six days an unforgettable experience that we will always remember.
Asante sana, Champion!
CH
Email Sabrina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
absolutely amazing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The safari was absolutely amazing and exceeded all our expectations!
We saw incredible wildlife and had an unforgettable experience.
Highly recommended — we would do it again in a heartbeat! Our Guide Champion was the best guide I ever had.
DE
Email Lilly | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not a normal Safari experience
I had an amazing 7/8-day safari with Serengeti Smile and can highly recommend them!
I booked the trip quite last minute, but they still managed to organize everything perfectly and make the whole safari possible. All of my wishes were taken into consideration and fulfilled, and the communication from the beginning was very easy, friendly, and reliable.
A very special thank you to my driver and guide, Gama, who was absolutely amazing throughout the entire trip. He took such good care of me, was always helpful, patient, friendly, and did everything he could to make sure I had the best possible experience. I was traveling alone, and I always felt safe, comfortable, and well looked after.
What I especially loved about this trip was that it was not only about seeing so many incredible animals and learning more about them. I also had the chance to experience more of the local way of life and culture, meet kind and welcoming people, and enjoy very good food along the way. That made the whole journey feel much richer and more meaningful.
From airport transfers to the safari itself, the accommodation, meals, and all the organization in between, everything went smoothly. Everyone I met from the Serengeti Smile team was friendly, welcoming, and helpful.
It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience, and I am very grateful to Serengeti Smile and especially to Gama for making this trip so special. I would definitely book with them again and highly recommend them to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania!
DE
Email Andre | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Safari Experience
Everything worked out really well.
The tour guide was very nice, the accomodation as well and we had some really unforgettable moments.
Professional and patient
We had a wonderful safari in Tanzania with Serengeti Smile. We saw the Big Five, cheetahs, and the wildebeest river crossing. Our guide, Sanare, was excellent—professional, patient, humorous, passionate, and very attentive. He was incredibly good at finding animals quickly. If you book with Serengeti Smile, definitely ask for Sanare. Our sales contact, Patricia, was also fantastic. She patiently revised our itinerary many times according to our requests, was professional and enthusiastic, and always replied very quickly. Overall, it was a truly enjoyable trip. Highly recommended!
IL
Email Yuval | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime
A once-in-a-lifetime experience with a very patient driver named Libby; he was attentive, friendly, and highly professional.
IL
Email Nadav | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The service was excellent; our driver was attentive, focused, and very patient. He helped us with ev
The service was excellent; our driver was attentive, focused, and very patient. He helped us with every request and looked for unique wildlife for us. The hotels were good for the area, and the entire organization by James prior to our arrival was excellent.
IL
Email Inbar | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Libi is the best
Libi is the besttttt and The service was excellent; our driver was attentive, focused, and very patient. He helped us with every request and looked for unique wildlife for us. The hotels were good for the area, and the entire organization by James prior to our arrival was excellent.