US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jartan Laizer exceeded my expectations for a superb nature & cultural safari experience! Top notch!!
Jartan Laizer, our tour guide/operator, and his driver team, went far above and beyond in giving us a full adventure filled with amazing memories of Serengeti and Tanzania wildlife, tribal cultures, and a variety of natural landscapes. Jartan was a wealth of knowledge of the area, its history, nature, and peoples. He took a a keen interest in what each person in our party of 16 were interested in experiencing congratulations and learning, and he and his team excelled in delivering for our group. He was a great story teller, shared his own personal life experiences, spent evening time getting to know us better, and always focused on safety and time efficiency in giving us a full experience. Our eleven day safari included amazing food, exceptional platform tent lodging within different areas on the Serengeti and surrounding natural areas, and needed transportation to/from airports. If you are wanting an unforgettable and personalized safari experience, be it in Tanzania or Kenya, without question I give Jartan my highest recommendation for he is amazing and truly delivered for us. I will be recommending his guide/operator services to any of my family, friends, or colleagues that wish an amazingly special Tanzania and/or Kenya experience.
MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From Wildlife Wonders to Birthday Cheers – Our Magical Journey with Leopard Orchid Safaris
We are a group of 20 from Malaysia, and after comparing several safari operators, we chose Leopard Orchid Safaris.
Like many others, we were initially concerned about safety in Kenya, but we’re happy to share that it’s safe and absolutely worth visiting!
We went on an 11-day safari, and while the experience was truly incredible, we personally felt that it was a bit too long—a slightly shorter trip might have been ideal. Still, every day was filled with fun, excitement, and unforgettable moments.
A big thank you to our wonderful driver and guides: Paul, Lawrence, and Patrick. During our game drives, they would often hint that “something special” was coming, which kept us excited and curious. Whether it was a rare animal sighting or a surprise moment in the wild, these experiences added a sense of magic and joy to our journey—and created a special bond between the drivers and all of us.
One particularly touching moment was when they surprised one of our group members with a birthday celebration. At Masai Mara Sopa Lodge, they arranged a special birthday cake and a traditional Maasai dance—a beautiful gesture that created unforgettable memories for her and for all of us.
We also truly appreciated the warm hospitality from James and Sally, who personally welcomed us on the first day and came to meet us again on the last day. Their thoughtfulness and care made us feel valued from start to finish.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Personal, unflappable and thoughtful—Firefinch delivered quality service tailored to our every need
Clive at Firefinch Safaris & Car Hire designed the ultimate 23-day adventure—part bucket list trip, part 20th anniversary celebration, part milestone birthday. From the very beginning, he was patient through many changes and incredibly thoughtful in every detail.
Traveling with my professional photographer husband, we had very specific needs, and Clive delivered at every level: personalized service, expert private guides, seamless logistics, and a beautiful variety of experiences across Namibia, Victoria Falls, and Cape Town. He took the time to truly get to know us, and it showed—every day felt tailored and intentional.
Our first six days in Namibia with our private driver Stefan were a perfect start to the trip. Stefan was extremely knowledgeable about Namibia—its culture, wildlife, and geology—and also a very good photographer in his own right. He was entertaining and navigated long drives and remote terrain with ease. Every need was anticipated before we even voiced it, and every lodge and location reflected the care and quality that defines Firefinch.
Clive is resourceful, attentive, and deeply knowledgeable about Southern Africa. He crafted a journey that was both efficient and soulful—a rare feat. We can’t recommend Firefinch highly enough.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Personalized Dream Trip to Cape Town
Melanie planned a dream trip to Cape Town for my sister and I. She worked within our budget, and was flexible based on the off-season variable weather. She was highly communicative, detailed, and extremely helpful in navigating a short but action-packed trip. The itinerary was perfect, accommodations were beautiful, and we'd absolutely use Pembury Tours again. Highly recommend!
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth it!
It's really worth it. Unforgettable memory. And the guide was also excellent.
NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We'd definitely recommend ATB Safaris
We've just arrived back from a Tanzania Northern Highlights safari with ATB Safaris. They were excellent! Right from our gentle and welcoming pickup at Kilimanjaro airport in the middle of the night and transfer to Arusha accommodation, through to our guide and driver Richard, it was great. Richard was always well organised and clear with his communication to us. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all creatures and plants, as well as local politics and anything else we asked him. The Landcruiser was cleaned every night and we always had fresh water and great food. We booked the tour through Indafrica Travel in NZ. We'd have no hesitation in recommending ATB Safaris. Thanks for a wonderful trip.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Would have benefitted from better planning and communication
I'll start off by saying the trip was a lot of fun and we had a great time! However, there were just too many issues along the way for me to give this better than a 3 star review. I had to do a lot of advocating for myself for us to get what we paid for on the itinerary.
1. Boat Ride -- Our itinerary had included a boat ride on the first day of the safari. When we met our guide, he had no idea about this. We then agreed to push this to the final day as there wasn't enough time on day 1.
2. Night Safari Payment -- On night 1, we had a night safari scheduled. Our driver kept asking us if we paid for it and we were confused. We said that we paid Joseph. This was fine, we went on the safari. I note it because it shows that Joseph didn't communicate well with our guide.
3. Wrong Game Drive Park -- Our Itinerary stated that we would do an afternoon game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve. When we got there, our driver told us we would be going to Nashulai Conservancy instead (WAY fewer animals). I got on the phone with the owner, Joseph, and after a bit of arguing, he agreed to let us go to the National Reserve, as our itinerary stated and as we had paid for. It worked out in the end, but not without a bit of trouble and time.
4. Masai Village Visit Fees -- Our itinerary stated all entrance fees were included on the tour. The Masai Village charged us $30 per person to enter. When I asked our driver, he said that Joseph didn't give him any money for this. We didn't bring any money ourselves because we didn't expect to pay for anything, we just had some small change for tips. We weren't able to visit the village and headed back to camp. When brought up to Joseph, he offered for us to go later, but at this point we were tired from the long day. He reduced the fees of our safari for this mistake.
5. Bush Breakfast -- We had paid for a Bush breakfast in our itinerary. I had to double check with the hotel and make sure Joseph was going to go through with this, as he had given us no indication that this was already planned. He said he remembered this, which I doubted given the previously mentioned issues, and that he would take care of it. Later that night, he suggested that instead of doing the bush breakfast at the hotel, we could go to another location and set up some breakfast, but we pushed back for a proper bush breakfast as had been described in our itinerary. We got the bush breakfast in the end, but not without lots of advocacy.
6. Early Morning departure -- Due to the boat ride not being planned well on day 1 and lack of planning for the bush breakfast, Joseph wanted to rush us out early and have us have breakfast at 6am so we could leave camp by 7, do a boat ride and get back to Nairobi by 12. We argued that the boat ride timing was not our doing, that it was poor planning on his part and that we shouldn't suffer that consequence. He agreed and allowed us to have breakfast at 8.
7. No Lunch on last day -- Our itinerary explicitly stated that lunch was included on the last day. On the drive home we stopped for lunch, the bill came and our guides told us Joseph had not included money to cover lunch. We ended up paying for us and our guides. Joseph later apologized and reduced our fee by the lunch price.
So, yea, everything worked out in the end and we really enjoyed our safari experience. However, it wasn't smooth. Joseph didn't communicate our itinerary to our guides or camp at all. He blamed the issues on software that messed up the itinerary, but we had chosen to work with him because of said itinerary. Joseph was accommodating to all of our issues, but there seemed to be an issue with just about every activity. Not the worst experience, but not the best.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great tour, thank you!
Had a great time on my tour with Serengeti smile in July 2025. Would recommend this tour if looking for a safari holiday in Tanzania.
Jonyo was patient in communication prior to the trip, and was thorough in letting us know our itinerary with regular updates. He helped us fit our itinerary into our requirements and budget.
Zack was a wonderful tour guide and excellent driver. He was patient in looking for animals and was calm in getting us to our destinations on time and looking for the best views for the animals.
Thank you both for making our trip memorable!
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Airport transfer Mombasa
Vehicle and driver arrived promptly for both pick ups. Vehicle was clean and tidy and driver drove conservatively and safely. Faultless and reliable service which we can wholeheartedly recommend.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great planning of the tour & great driver + guide!
It was an absolutely amazing trip!! My husband picked this destination and Serengeti smile as our choice for our tour company. I didn’t do the liaising with the company so I won’t be reviewing that portion (my husband will do that review). I did meet Jonyo when we were first came here and he was very friendly and nice to talk to:) I felt that the trip was overall very well planned - the pace was set well, the lodges were pleasant.
The biggest star of our tour was our driver and tour guide Zack! We could see his sincerity in trying his best to find the best sights of the game drives for us, one of the days, he spent 3 hours past the planned time to help us find rare rhinos. Him going out of his way to help us make this experience unforgettable is truly commendable. His driving skills also STELLAR. Despite the crazy rough roads, he kept us safe from any dangerous situations and we really do appreciate it. His love and knowledge for animals as he shared so much information about them is amazing. We were blessed during this trip and saw so many beautiful and even rare sights (baby cheetahs!!!) and had a blast!! 😄 Zack truly knew where to bring us during the game drives, fantastic experience!!!! We would recommend Zack if you do choose Sergenti Smile :)
