50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti Smile exceeded all expectations
Wow!!! What can I say about Serengeti Smile?!! Initial communication with Jeremiah from the office was very good. He was able to answer our many, many questions and sorted our whole trip for us. From the moment our guide, Libe collected us from our hotel in Arusha, the service was excellent! He gave us both a very friendly welcome and took time to go through the itinerary for the 5 days safari to come. The safari experience blew us away. I know not everyone can experience every animal the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater and the Tarangire national park has to offer but we saw more than we ever expected, thanks to Libe's expert knowledge, keen eyes and a little luck too. Elephants, lions, giraffes, zebra, cheetah, leopard, wildebeast, buffalo, hippos...to name just a few! Thanks again to Libe's knowledge and patience we were able to witness The Great Migration...twice! This sight alone was worth the trip!
Thank you Serengeti Smile and thank you to Libe, for giving us memories that will last a lifetime.
MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best tour operator in Kenya!
We are so glad to experience our Safari with Acus Africa. The company has been very helpful with our itinerary and bookings although there are some hiccups before the trip. We also want to shout out to Ali our tour guide for the whole trip to Masai Mara. We are so grateful!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari, brilliant tour company fab guide!
We had a superb holiday of a lifetime with great care and patience through the booking process (I'm quite particular!) and a superb experience right from arrival at the airport. Our guide Zebbie cared for our every need and stayed with us throughout, his spotting skills were excellent and we saw things other tours were driving past!
This was a magical 6 day safari followed by 6 nights in Zanzibar organised and executed to perfection - thank you all!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour was outstanding, hassle free and smooth experience - Highly recommend
We just returned from an 8-day, 7-night safari in Kenya (2 adults and our 5-year-old), and it was truly one of the best experiences of our lives. Kenya is everything you imagine—breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, and warm, welcoming people
From the start, Stephen, our trip coordinator, was incredible. His response time was unbelievably fast, never more than an hour, and he helped us fully customize our itinerary. We could choose everything from accommodations to the type of vehicle (highly recommend a Jeep over a van for comfort on the bumpy roads), and even how many days to spend in Nairobi before heading out.
Upon arrival, Stephen personally picked us up from the airport and ensured we were settled in our Nairobi hotel before the adventure began. We then got Felix (our guides WhatsApp), we arranged pickup timing and details for the next day. Everything was smooth.
So Felix was our guide, which and in my opinion is the most important part of any safari. Felix is a local from the Masai Mara, born and raised in one of the villages, and his knowledge of the landscape, wildlife, and culture was unmatched. He was with us from start to finish, always ensuring we were comfortable and well taken care of, while also sharing fascinating facts about the animals and environment. As a talented photographer himself, he positioned us perfectly for some of the most amazing photos we’ve ever taken.
We did do some optional extras (like a boat ride and Masai village visit), but if we didnt want to, there was never any pressure to do them - it was always completely up to us. Traveling with a 5-year-old, we also appreciated how flexible Felix was with stops for shopping or toilet breaks along the way. His vehicle was spacious, clean, comfortable, had a fridge for drinks, and even international plugs to keep our phones charged during long drives.
A few tips for future travelers:
Things get dusty, and the rides can be bumpy—Jeep is absolutely worth it.
June weather was great but keep layers handy—it’s hot during the day and chilly at night.
Wear whatever you’re comfortable in; you don’t have to stick to only neutral colors.
There is a tipping culture in Kenya for guides and accomodation staff.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional, trustable and experienced Tour Operator
Together with my wife and a friend, we contacted GoGiraffe to organize a 10 days trip in western Tanzania. Our goal was to visit Katavi National Park, Mahale and Gombe.While defining the Tour, I greatly appreciated the quick replies of Luice: easy to access and fast in responding to our request. The area we wanted to visit, is the less visited in Tanzania and the Parks are difficult to reach but can guarantee a very low presence of tourists. In the 3 parks visited, we were almost alone all the time!We met Luice at the ferry arrival from Zanzibar and immediately appreciated the capacity to be on time and of have constant communication via wupp which allowed us to feel safe and well followed.We flew to Mpanda where we met the local driver and the guide. We agreed on a medium budget tour, so we slept in the Bandas of the Park. The accommodation was simple but fair, same thing for the food provided at the Bandas restaurant. The Park is fantastic, and we saw all the animals expected with the only exception of the lions. We never met other tourists and really loved the 2 days of safari.From Katavi we moved to Mahale. It is almost impossible to go straight there as the road conditions are extremely poor, but the trip is a great opportunity to observe local life and people. So, we stopped in Kigoma, were we really loved the beautiful Kigoma Hilltop Hotel with its view on the lake, a beautiful swimming pool and a very good restaurant!Early the following day, another long and beautiful drive to reach Mahale including a very picturesque ferry, an amazing experience of local life!! Finally, we arrived to the Park with a final 90 minute ride on a boat on the Tanganika lake watching the superb and uncontaminated nature of the coast. The landscape in Mahale is extraordinary: I felt like I was in Jurassic Park movie! In the Park we were under the supervision of Hussein Mavumila: a great, experienced guide and very nice person. Bandas was ok and the food better than in Katavi. With Hussein, the following day, we started the trek seeking for chimpanzees which we met and observed for all the morning. Amazing!The following day, long trip: back to Kigoma to catch the boat to Gombe. The transfers in this trip were always long and not necessarily comfortable but, to me, those are the best moments in Africa as allowed us to see real life, including the fisherman’s villages with the Tanganika Lake always in our sight. The Gombe National Park was founded by Jane Goodall to preserve and study the Chimps. The Bandas there are very poor so, if you can, reserve at the tent at the camp very close there: little more expensive but by far cleaner and more comfortable! The following morning, another long trek in the forest watching several chimps relaxed and very busy with eating and delousing. Great day! After lunch, we decided to accelerate our trip back to Kigoma so to join the comfort of Kigoma Hilltop Hotel! This decision allowed us, the following day, to be at 8 am at the fishermen arrival from the fishing night and spend a couple of hour admiring the local women selling the sardines. Such a colorful and amazing show!! The morning was completed with the visits of the Kigoma Train Station (a very important piece of history for Tanzania), the Slave Road surrounded by huge mango’s trees, and the very interesting Livingston Museum, built in the place were Dr Livingstone and Mr. Stanley met.Our journey ended with a comfortable night in Dar where we had the opportunity to have a pleasant dinner with Luice, learning a lot of things on Tanzania and future opportunities of other trips!Overall, our experience has been very positive, knowing that this trip is not for everybody but mostly for experienced travelers. Visiting the less touristic part of Tanzania, can create some discomfort but the constant assistant of Luice via wupp helped to solve all the issues and the reward is fantastic: we will keep in our heart the beautiful images of people, nature and landscapes for the rest of our lives!!!
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good safari
I was very happy with my 6-days safari trip. Our guide and chef was really kind and there was amazing food!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organised tour operator and a very friendly guide and good driver
We did the 4 days Masai Mara + Lake Nakuru safari with Axis and were very happy with the tour.
The communication in advanced was easy, they answered all our questions. The chosen accommodations within the lowest cost option were great.
During the tour, Amos was our guide and driver and he did an excellent job. He was very friendly, explained a bit about animals and nature and considered wishes.
We can recommend doing a tour with Axis.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bakari, the best Guide for an exciting 3-Days-Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Park
We had a lot of fun with our guide Bakari. He knew anything about the animals, found the best spots and showed us the beautiful sunrise and also sunset in the serengeti. Sometimes he switched some music on, like "The Lion sleeps tonight" in the park, and Amapiano on the road to the park. And he also made some funny jokes, and so we did.
The big modern Toyota 4×4 Jeep (8 seats) was the right car to move over all these rough and uneven roads. On our game drives the roof top could be opened to make observing and animal seeking easier and more comfortable.
The contact to the operator was fine, and communication went fluently, though he had forgotten to book our last hotel on the last day of safari. Of course in the end we got our hotel room and he gave us a free transfer from Arusha to Moshi for this failure. So we didn't worry. Hakuna Matata.
Of course we would recommend this trip to anyone.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Operator, who is taking care of you and cooks very well.
Safari: 5/5
Communication & Organisation: 5/5
Accommodation: 5/5
I got upgraded to a bigger tent, it was not 100% finalized but still very comfortable)
Food: 4.5/5
Dinner was amazing. Pap with some nice Sheba. Breakfast was okay, but not amazing for my European taste buds (Fries and Sausage is not my type of Breakfast) some nice fruits would be a great addition.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Noksie
Noksie
The food and hospitality was great. Noksie ensured that our needs are catered for. Thank you Noksie