50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and welcoming.
We had an amazing time on our paradise and wilderness tour. The hotel Reef and Beach resort was a wonderful resort had everything you needed for a relaxing time, the staff were friendly, welcoming and very attentive. They we're always smiling and made you feel happy. The only negative point was it was a little to far away from the main town Jambiani. The tours that were on offer were great. The tours we experienced in Zanzibar included Stone Town, Prison Island and spice farm, this was a full day out. The other tour we can highly recommend was Dolphin watching/swimming if your brave enough to jump into the Indian ocean about a mile off the coast. And swimming with sea turtles.
Well what do I say about the Safari..........it was breathtaking to experience seeing the beautiful creatures in there natural habitat, the national park was packed with spectacular sights. The safari drive is not for the faint hearted as you are chucked about in the jeep like being on a rollercoaster, we had so much fun and laughs. Our driver was fantastic too taking us everywhere to seek out The big cats themselves Lion's, along with Elephants, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, Hyaenas and everything else that goes with them even Crocodile. The resort Selous Safari was fabulous, great location for Nyerere National Park and Bungalows we stayed in were fabulous, yet again the staff were friendly, welcoming and always smiling. The food in both hotels was top notch. A holiday we will never forget.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
uncomplicated and smooth
It was really easy to book the tour , especially with communication via WhatsApp. They helped us everytime so we did not feel lost at any point.
Maybe a little high priced but it was okay including flight and meal.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organised, got to see the Big Five, amazing experience
Communication: quick responses
Organisation: excellent
Accommodation: camp was very authentic with a bomfire in the evening, lovely and welcoming people, baboons walking around freely
Food was a bit basic
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience |North and South Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Arusha
While we truly enjoyed our trip, I believe it’s important to highlight both the positive and negative aspects to help improve future experiences for other travelers like us.
Negative Feedback:
- Vegetarian Meal Mix-up: Despite informing both three months before our booking and again two days before we arrived in Zanzibar that we are vegetarians, there was a significant lapse in communication regarding our meals.
On our first day in Seronera, we received lunch boxes with chicken. My wife unknowingly took a bite of a chicken samosa, which is deeply concerning for us, as eating non-vegetarian food is against our cultural and religious practices.
Even after notifying the lodge about this, we were served eggs the next day. As a result, we skipped two meals during our stay at Ikoma because of this miscommunication.
The lodge claimed (as per our conversation) that we were served vegetarian meals, but only a portion of the meal (biscuits and a sandwich) was vegetarian. As we had paid for a full board, we expected all the food to be vegetarian and were disappointed that this was not the case.
Dinner at South Serengeti: During our stay in South Serengeti, the only food option available for us at dinner was potato wedges, as the main course was beef. The chef explained that had he been informed about our dietary preferences, he would have prepared a suitable meal. This further confirmed that our vegetarian preferences were not communicated, leading us to miss out on yet another meal.
Overall, this communication gap around meal preferences caused us to skip three meals, which was frustrating given that we had paid for a full board plan.
Positive Feedback:
Beautiful Accommodations:
Each accommodation during our stay was absolutely beautiful, luxurious, and exceeded our expectations. They provided a very memorable experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and ambiance.
Welcoming and Helpful Staff:
Across all locations, the staff were warm, welcoming, and always ready to help. Their hospitality made us feel comfortable and taken care of throughout our journey.
Julius – Our Outstanding Safari Guide:
This is by far the highlight of our trip! Julius, our safari driver and guide, was exceptional. His knowledge, helpfulness, and attention to detail truly elevated our experience. He was very accommodating with the difficulties we faced regarding the food and made sure that we were taken care of in every possible way. Julius is an absolute gem and deserves full credit for making our safari unforgettable.
We did enjoy our holiday overall, but I believe addressing these issues could make the experience even better for future travelers.
JP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari tour!
We could see lots of animals like lion, cheetah, elephant and so on. It was unforgettable moments ever. Our guide driver Albert, he explained every animals and try to get close. He was amazing. Camp site was also nice, just we couldn’t use electricity in our own room so we needed to go to kitchen to charge our mobiles and camera but it’s still acceptable.
But we booked a car which can ride max 6ppl but actually it was 8people.
We were 4ppl group so 6 and 8 was big deference. If they explained before we would booked private one.
Anyway at total it was amazing trip, thank you so much!! Special thanks to Albert:)))
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
park kruger
we only visited the kruger national park, lots of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes
quite poor in felines
good if first time for a safari
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
supported, helpful and friendly
I was very satisfied. The food and the organization were perfect.
The guide did his best to show the animals without stressing them, chasing them or putting them under pressure. He made a very good job.
I would deduct one point for the information provided before booking.
We asked if there was a fence around the campsite. The answer was yes.
However, there was no fence around any of the campsites.
Otherwise everything worked very well. The guide ensured safety.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very helpful and responsive in the booking process.
Africa Bed of Roses were very easy to deal with. They responded quickly to queries by email and we were happy that they were providing what we wanted, including adding some extras in. They met us at the airport and the guide was a good driver. Accommodation was excellent. The advertised safari lodge was not available but the substitute was lovely and I would willingly return to it. The guide was obviously very familiar with the area of the Masai Mara that we visited and he was able to find lots of wonderful wildlife to observe.
Our only concern was about the actual vehicle that we travelled in. It needed jump-starting a few times and then broke down so we had to be transferred to another vehicle to complete our journey. The guide had to facilitate this himself as there was no obvious back-up . We have fed back to Africa Bed of Roses that we feel the vehicle is in need of a major service.
This incident would not stop me using them again.
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best tour company in Tanzania, [email protected]
I visited Tanzania for the first time and I was amazed by the professionalism Serengeti Smile team handled my safari. It was short and sweeet. I had the best experience thanks to them. I'll be sure to book my next safari with them!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful
Lovely nice beautiful safe should improve transport for roads and airports