US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour operators were knowledgeable and professional at their job.
Kubwa 5 made our trip unforgettable. Our tour directors in both Kenya and Tanzania were personable and proficient. They knew exactly where to go to see animals and were diligent in finding them. Communication with personnel at Kubwa 5 was consistent throughout the trip and they were so accommodating when we wanted to change the itinerary last minute.
The cost of the trip was well worth all of the experiences it included. Would highly recommend them to anyone interested in a safari.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kerry Ririe set up a phenomenal trip for us!
The views were amazing, the animals were amazing, and the people were wonderful. Every evening I thought the next day couldn't get better, but it did. We toured Cape Town and the surrounding area, Victoria Falls (to include the Elephant Encounter), Chobe National Park, and Camp Xakanaxa in the Okavango Delta. Kerry Ririe from Pembury Tours put our itinerary together after consultation with us and it was perfect! She did an excellent job, very attentive to every detail. The lodging recommendations, the transportation recommendations, our guides were all excellent.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Malaki gave us a once in a lifetime experience, everything we had hoped for and more!
We truly could not have been in better hands than with Malaki as our guide through Tanzania. Traveling from Serengeti, Ngorogoro crater and Tarangire national park, Malaki ensured we had the fullest experience. We were 10 people across 2 jeeps ages 80 down to age 12. Malaki didn't just drive us from place to place, he brought Tanzania alive for us. He was incredibly knowledgeable, gracious, warm-- and not to mention, full of humor, effortlessly managing logistics while enriching every game drive and cultural experience with context and insight. If you are looking for an expert and a person you can relax and put your trust in, Malaki is your guide!
GT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An uninterrupted safari experience!!
When we first contacted this company, they helped us with great care and professionalism. Our safari was completely planned according to our needs - what kind of accommodation we wanted, what kind of wildlife we wanted to see, everything was taken into consideration. They discussed everything with us and it was a much better experience than expected. I strongly recommend it!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Flawless! Everything was better than expected!
Andrew was a great guide and pulled together a trip of a lifetime for my family and me! Our time is important and I was able to trust Andrew with all the details and he pulled everything off for us, and even the places we stayed, we were blown away by. I would highly recommend Andrew as someone you can trust and know that all will come together!
CN
An good safari with exhausting journey guided by decent operator
The journey is mostly in line with the expectation provided by the operator. We have a two people private trip, and the schedule is indeed flexible. The tour guide Justus makes quite a few call and managed to find cheetahs when we are in Masai. The hotel booked by the operator is decent, while the food is of decent quality as well but tastes all the same across different hotels. Quick communication with turnaround time usually within one hour, if not minutes. If pointing room for improvement, we do have a little miscommunication such as whether certain events is supplementary, but this is greatly resolved soon after the operator replied in 5 mins.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience
It was a perfect trip, short and sweet. Our guide Abdallah was so nice and so knowledgeable. He took us to all the right spots and we saw all the animals! We did Serengeti and Ngorogoro and it was perfect. Definitely recommend, and request Abdallah if you can you will not regret it!!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unbelievable experience!
Firstly, the organization from Silas was fantastic. He made sure that the whole trip was tailored to our needs, and was happy to review and adapt the itinerary until we were happy with every step of the journey. He was professional, helpful and did his best to get us the best quality for the best price - he didn’t disappoint!
Secondly, our driver, Sammy, was superb. We cannot speak higher of his knowledge of Kenya, excellent driving, incredible ability to spot all the animals in the Maasai Mara (including 2 leopards in 2 days!!) and his kindness and care throughout the trip. He was just fantastic from start to finish.
Finally, every Accomodation and every meal we ate was high quality. We always felt safe, well looked after, clean and healthy throughout the trip due to the excellent service of all staff involved both from Apodiformes and the hotels and lodges chosen.
We cannot rate this trip any higher. Thank you for the memories that will last a lifetime!
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really reliable and safe
TLDR;
5/5 for our guide, Champion — a true ambassador for Serengeti. If you are able to request for him, please do!!
5/5 for the staff at Class Camp Serengeti
3.5/5 for Serengeti Smiles— a reliable company with room for growth.
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We had an incredible trip to Serengeti (6 adults + 1 child), and the highlight — by far — was our guide, Champion. His infectious energy, deep knowledge, and genuine passion for wildlife made this experience unforgettable. We saw an amazing variety of animals, and every moment felt special thanks to him. If I could give a separate 5/5 just for the guide, I would — he truly made the trip.
As for Serengeti Smiles (SS)— the company was reliable and responsive. Their sales team communicated promptly and professionally, and we always felt safe and well-coordinated throughout the journey. Lodging was decent, and the overall experience was very smooth and hassle-free.
That said, there are a few areas where improvement would take the experience from good to exceptional:
Lodging choices could be better optimized — some locations were very remote, requiring long drives that could have been avoided with more thoughtful planning.
The safari van clearly needed maintenance (jammed doors, windows that didn’t open), and we weren’t informed of the AC vs non-AC vehicle option beforehand.
One concerning point: we got a sense that individual 5-star Google ratings are expected from each member of the group — and that these ratings apply not just to our guide or lodge staff, but to Serengeti Smiles as a whole. This presents a problem: while we felt our guide and lodge staff absolutely deserved 5/5, we couldn’t honestly rate the company itself at that level due to other factors. Unfortunately, this seems to impact the guide’s evaluation, even though their performance was exceptional.
We believe there should be a more fair and structured way to separately evaluate the guide, lodge staff, and the company — rather than bundling all feedback into a single rating. Group ratings should also be considered sufficient instead of requiring multiple individual posts. This part of the process is little disappointing because we absolutely loved our experience with the guide and staff, but did not feel we could say much about the company SS without penalizing them
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memory never to me forgotten…
About our African journey: it was a trip of our lifetime with three generations. My daughter and granddaughter and I chose REAL AFRICA TRAVEL and had the trip of our lifetime!!! We started with a Safari in the Masai Mara then proceeded to Siaya, Kissumu and Eldoret, where we have various Missions in place. Real Africa Travel booked us into the best hotels that I didn’t even know existed. Our driver Mike was tops and we all liked him so much. If we ever get a chance to go again it’ll be Mike we go with.!! I want to say many, many thanks to all of you at African Safari Travel Co., you exceeded our expectations in every way and made our trip most memorable. Carole