35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Absolutely Incredible Experience in Tanzania & Zanzibar! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Absolutely Incredible Experience in Tanzania & Zanzibar! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Jasmine and Sarafika Tours! From start to finish, our trip exceeded expectations, and I am so grateful we trusted her to curate such an incredible African adventure. If you are considering traveling to Tanzania or Zanzibar, I HIGHLY recommend booking with Sarafika Tours!
One of the things I appreciated most about Jasmine was her excellent communication throughout the planning process and our entire trip. She was responsive, attentive, and made sure we had the information we needed every step of the way. As a Tanzanian woman and small business owner, Jasmine brings something truly special to her work. Her firsthand knowledge of the country, cultural understanding, and extensive network of local contacts made a tremendous difference in our experience. It was clear that she genuinely cares about her clients and takes pride in sharing the beauty of her home country with others. I love supporting women-owned businesses, and Sarafika Tours is a wonderful example of a business that delivers exceptional service with a personal touch.
The accommodations were absolutely immaculate! Every hotel and lodge we stayed at was clean, beautiful, comfortable, and welcoming. From Moshono Hillside Hotel in Arusha to Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge and Marera Valley Lodge, every property was thoughtfully selected. Kisiwa House in Stone Town was a wonderful place to experience the island's history and culture, while Casa Del Mar Beach Resort provided the perfect opportunity to slow down, relax, and enjoy Zanzibar's beautiful beaches. The quality of the accommodations really stood out, and we were impressed with how well everything was arranged.
The transportation and logistics were just as impressive. Every driver we encountered was kind, professional, punctual, and accommodating. Airport pickups, hotel transfers, flights, excursions, and scheduled activities were all coordinated for us. Everything worked out smoothly, and we never had to stress about figuring out where we needed to be or how we were getting there. Traveling between multiple destinations can be overwhelming, but Jasmine took care of the details so we could focus on enjoying our vacation. That peace of mind was invaluable!
The safari experience was absolutely incredible, and our guides, Showtime and Jackson, deserve a special shout-out! They were SOOOOO nice, kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Their warm personalities made the game drives even more enjoyable, and they helped make our time in the parks truly memorable. Exploring Tarangire National Park and visiting the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater were unforgettable experiences. Seeing the wildlife in its natural habitat was amazing, and having guides who were so friendly and enthusiastic made the experience even better. They helped make us feel comfortable and added so much to our safari adventures.
My absolute favorite experience was the hot air balloon safari! It was breathtaking and easily the highlight of the entire trip. Floating above the African landscape and taking in the scenery from above was an experience I will never forget. It was peaceful, exhilarating, and truly once in a lifetime. If you book with Sarafika Tours and have the opportunity to add the hot air balloon excursion to your itinerary, DO IT! It was absolutely worth it and created one of the most special memories of our entire African adventure.
I also loved the variety of experiences Jasmine incorporated into our itinerary. We enjoyed exciting wildlife safaris, visited a Maasai village, and explored the rich history, architecture, markets, and culture of Stone Town. We then transitioned to the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar, where we could relax and soak up the island atmosphere. The itinerary struck the perfect balance between adventure, cultural immersion, and relaxation. We were able to experience so much without feeling like we had to manage all the moving pieces ourselves.
What truly sets Jasmine and Sarafika Tours apart is the combination of thoughtful planning, local expertise, reliable connections, and genuine care. Every detail felt intentional, and the entire trip flowed seamlessly. It was reassuring to know we had someone who understood the destination, had trusted people on the ground, and was committed to making sure everything went well. Jasmine made the experience feel personal rather than like we were simply booking a standard travel package.
Jasmine, thank you for helping make this trip one we will remember for a lifetime! Your hard work, communication, attention to detail, and passion for sharing Tanzania with others did not go unnoticed. Thank you to Showtime, Jackson, and all the wonderful drivers and hospitality staff who contributed to such a fantastic experience.
If you are looking for a travel curator who is knowledgeable, well-connected, communicative, and genuinely invested in creating an unforgettable trip, Sarafika Tours is the company to book with! Whether you want an African safari, cultural experiences, a relaxing beach escape, or a combination of all three, Jasmine will help bring your vision to life.
I wholeheartedly recommend Sarafika Tours and would absolutely trust Jasmine to help plan another adventure. Supporting this woman-owned business was a great decision, and I encourage anyone considering Tanzania or Zanzibar to give her a call. You will be in excellent hands!
MA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable honeymoon safari - special thanks to Stanley and Shengena Adventure
My wife and I had an absolutely amazing safari experience in Tanzania with Shengena Adventure during our honeymoon.
Everything was wonderfully organized, from the accommodations to the entire safari experience. We enjoyed every single moment.
A very special thank you to our incredible guide, Stanley, words cannot express how grateful we are to him. Stanley is not only an exceptional guide with impressive knowledge of wildlife and nature, but also a genuinely kind, caring, patient and wonderful person.
Stanley, thank you for everything, you made our honeymoon safari even more special, and we will always remember the incredible time we spent together.
Asante sana, kaka
A big thank you as well to Omar and the entire Shengena Adventure team for the excellent organization, their kindness and all the thoughtful touches that made our honeymoon so memorable.
We highly recommend Shengena Adventure to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania. And if you have the opportunity, ask for Stanley as your guide. He is simply outstanding.
Asante sana kwa kila kitu
Hakuna matata
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Service
Outstanding service from Victor at Southern Surge!
Victor was absolutely top-notch and could not do enough for us. Day or night, he was always punctual, courteous, knowledgeable and professional, with a charming, friendly manner that made him a pleasure to spend time with.
He took us to all the highlights, including Victoria Falls, the Boma dinner experience, the vulture feeding, a sunset cruise and the Big Tree. He was also more than happy to make a quick stop at the supermarket whenever we needed supplies. His suggestions for activities were thoughtful and well suited to our interests, without ever being pushy.
Victor is well educated, clearly knowledgeable about the area and genuinely cares about making sure his guests have a wonderful experience.
We couldn’t recommend Victor and Southern Surge more highly. If you’re visiting Victoria Falls, you’re in excellent hands with Victor!
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Informative, Value for money and trustworthy
It is absolutely important to have a trusted and well communicative travel parter(agent) for Kenya visit who know how to plan the trip for creating maximum possibilities within a short span of time. Mr. Nelson of Terminal Tours just fits the best by offering us with value for money travel for a 7N-8D visit where even he adjusted my last moment change in plan while on game drive - fully committed for customer satisfaction. He has a good team with knowledgeable and experienced driver who has equally supported us in all possible means to enhance the experience of game drive. We could see the big 5s within 2 game drive at Masai mara. They also conduct special tour for Tsavo East and west.
IE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Amazing Safari for 5 days!
Our safari tour with Cubs Expeditions turned out to be one of the best we have ever done. Right from the time we started planning our Tanzania trip, the owner Humphrey kept constant communication with us regarding the safari package and what is included on each day of the tour. Their packages are very competitive and attractive and the camps they provided us were really good. They kept emailing me regularly addressing all my queries until we landed in Tanzania. Even when we faced our own problems with our flights coming into Tanzania, Humphrey was always available to adapt to the changes from our flight disruptions. However, the star of this entire safari was our driver-guide Omar. He was absolutely amazing, with a head full of facts and knowledge about the Serengeti and its magnificent creatures! Omar has the eye of an eagle, and could see a leopard sitting on a rock 2 kms away! He could name every single animal species and explain to us the traits and differences of each of them. He shared so much information to us about so many things that you would never need an encyclopedia after that. He ensured we were well taken care of in each of our safari camps in Serengeti and Ngorongoro and made sure we were always on time wherever we had to go on the day. Omar is an amazing person, and we will always remember him from this trip. Apart from Omar, the other person we would like to appreciate is Hudhaifa, who was responsible for our pickup and drop off to JRO airport. One of our luggage had been misplaced by the airline, and since we had already departed for our safari, Hudhaifa took it as a responsibility to ensure our luggage was properly routed to Serengeti when it was eventually delivered. Cubs expeditions is an honest and earnest company who takes care of their clients. Thank you so much and hopefully we will meet again soon!
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Gold medal to Mtango from an experienced safaritraveller
The guide/driver was very experienced and handled everything calmly and safely. He listened carefully to our wishes and solved everything in the best way, with great calm. On the safari trips, he discovered a lot of exciting things and had lot of knowledge about animals and nature. Easy to communicate with and a warm humor. As a driver, he never took any risks. The car was well cleaned and always filled up before we set off. Mtango stepped up for us, and even though they had extra expenses, there was no discussion about extra costs for us. We are very happy with how they acted. Everything worked well practically, schedules were kept, no extra costs. Mtango trusted us and we trusted Mtango. Very good collaboration. We had planned the trip together with Mtango, our ideas and their experience. We got a varied trip and got to experience many amazing things. Top safari, I have traveled in East Africa for almost twenty years, and this is the best safari I have experienced.
IE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional, friendly and efficient company - Bayona (our guide) and Namayani were just great.
Thanks to Namayani, our contact at Serengeti Africa Safari. Anytime we had a question she replied very quickly and sorted everything out for us, both before we left home and during our trip. All the transfers from airports to accommodations were 100% reliable.
Special thanks to Bayona, our safari guide, an absolute gentleman, who seemed to know Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorogoro like the palm of his hand. We got to see too many animals and birds to mention, but that included the Big 5. In many cases they animals came close to our jeep or Bayona managed to drive very close to the animals. We saw Hippos fighting, we saw Cheetah mam with her 3 week old cubs right beside our jeep, we sat under a tree with a Leopard and their kill (a poor gazelle). Giant sized elephants walked right up to our jeep, we could almost touch them.
Of all the accommodations we stayed at Land of Nature was my favourite, with Suricate Boma Lodge in 2nd place. Truly an amazing trip.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and wonderful
We had a wonderful day with our guide David in Serval wildlife sanctuary ! We pet several different wildlife species and our private tour guide took a lot of pictures for us. It’s a unique experience to get closer to the wildlife. We highly recommend it! Our guides are so patients and friendly!
PR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
VIATU made our family’s South African adventure unforgettable with thoughtful planning, top-notch gu
We just had the most wonderful vacation in South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia! Every stay, tour, safari, and dinners were fantastic—it felt magical from beginning to end. The locations were incredible, the staff at each stop were wonderful, and all the special little details made the trip feel extra special. The tour guides were top-notch, and VIATU’s follow-through as we traveled between destinations was superb. We always felt well looked after.
We chose VIATU from four quotes, and we’re so glad we did. Mardi did a wonderful job listening to what we wanted, putting together a fantastic proposal, and making sure the trip fit all of us. She even helped us name our vacation “#Santiago-Walker Vacation: Better Than Blended,” inspired by the movie and the feedback we shared with her. That personal touch really showed how closely she listened and how much she cared about the details.
Thank you so much, Mardi and the VIATU team, for all your hard work. I’m already recommending you to everyone who asks about our trip! 🙏
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
We had an incredible safari experience with Safari Soul, and a huge part of that was thanks to our guide and driver, Jackson Masong!
Jackson was fantastic from start to finish. He made us feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire trip, even while navigating some very challenging roads. He was an excellent driver, incredibly knowledgeable, and always had such a positive attitude. He went out of his way to get us as close to the animals as safely possible, giving us some unforgettable wildlife experiences.
What really stood out was how accommodating he was. He regularly asked what we wanted to see and do, listened to our preferences, and tailored the experience around us. He was patient, flexible, and genuinely wanted to make sure we had the best possible experience. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide!
A few things to know before going on safari:
The roads are extremely bumpy, and that’s something you should be prepared for. If you’re visiting multiple national parks, keep in mind that they can be several hours apart, so expect long days of driving. The highways and roads could definitely benefit from more government investment in paving and maintenance, as the travel between destinations can be quite rough.
Also, be prepared for what they call “African makeup” — the dust! You’ll get covered in it, especially during game drives, so pack extra clothes and don’t expect to stay clean for long.
Another important tip is to bring plenty of snacks. You’re travelling through very remote areas, and there aren’t restaurants or convenience stores inside the parks. Lunches are generally pre-packaged, so having your own snacks makes a big difference during the long days.
Overall, the safari was an unforgettable experience, and we would absolutely recommend Jackson to anyone booking with Safari Soul. His professionalism, positive energy, excellent driving, and willingness to cater to our interests made the trip special.
The wildlife is incredible, the scenery is breathtaking, and the experience is worth it. Just come prepared for the long drives, bumpy roads, and lots of dust!
Thank you, Jackson, for making our safari such a memorable experience!