Kembe Safari reviews

In May of this year the four of us had an unforgettable trip through northern Tanzania with Kembe Safari. From the very first contact, everything was superbly arranged.

Before our trip, Sem and Marc from Kembe Safari came to our home to talk through our wishes and ideas for a 14-day private safari. They listened carefully and really took on board what mattered to us. We wanted a varied trip through the beautiful national parks of northern Tanzania, but we also wanted to get to know the culture and everyday life of the country. As birdwatchers, we also very much wanted to see Tanzania’s beautiful birds, alongside all the other animals we could expect in the parks. Based on that, a completely tailor-made trip was put together.

Beforehand we received a beautiful brochure with a clear day-by-day programme, detailed information about the lodges and national parks we would visit and all sorts of practical tips. That gave us a very good picture of what lay ahead before we had even left.

During the trip, too, everything was taken care of down to the last detail. At the airport we were met by our guide Reginald and driver Cosmas. For fourteen days they drove us safely and comfortably through Tanzania. Their knowledge, enthusiasm and hospitality made our trip extra special.

The lodges we stayed in were fantastic, every single one. We had deliberately chosen a mix of more luxurious and somewhat more basic lodges. Even the simpler accommodation had every comfort and was often in a stunning location. One of the moments that will always stay with us was the view from the pool on the edge of the Serengeti. From our sun loungers we could watch giraffes, buffalo and monkeys wandering past. What a special experience!

The food in every lodge was excellent too. Usually there was a generous buffet with plenty of choice, and the food was always fresh, tasty and healthy.

Tanzania itself really surprised us. It is a beautiful country with incredibly friendly and hospitable people. And the national parks are truly breathtaking. Within a few days we had seen the Big Five. Elephants calmly walked around our jeep and lions lay sleeping just a few metres from the jeep. Those are moments you won’t forget in a hurry!

We look back on our trip with enormous pleasure. Everything was superbly organised and thanks to Kembe Safari we were able to discover Tanzania in a special and personal way.

If we ever head that way again, we’ll choose Kembe Safari without a moment’s hesitation!

I’ll try to keep it short: why you should choose Kembe Safari. There are lots of Tanzania trips on offer. We browsed around online too (we are two women over 60). In the end I went with my gut feeling. That was confirmed when Kembe came to my home to explain everything in person and to ask what we wanted.

The first thing that was very clear: go in the “rainy season”. It was full of flowers, beautiful, with magnificent views, and it rained twice during the day, for about 15 minutes. The advantage is that you come across very few other jeeps full of tourists, so you have every opportunity to spot and photograph animals.

During our face-to-face meeting, Kembe showed us lots of different kinds of trips. We chose a 12-day safari. We saw everything, with a fantastic driver and guide. You can plan the days however you like; we left it all to Kembe. (There’s so much on offer that you don’t know what to choose, so everything was planned for us once they had heard what we wanted.) Not a single regret.

Afterwards we tacked on 8 days on Zanzibar to recharge before the journey home. All the accommodation was excellent. Fantastic food, lots of laughs with “our guys”, a trip we will never forget.

As a family, we had a beautiful and unforgettable trip through Tanzania with Kembe Safari. From the planning stage onwards, contact with Sem was very pleasant. He always answered our questions quickly and well, and put real thought into planning the trip with us.

During the trip we were accompanied by Cosmas and Reginald. Both are incredibly pleasant, committed and thoughtful guides. They regularly came up with valuable suggestions and did everything they could to make our safari as special as possible. We had already seen an enormous number of animals along the way, but on our last safari day we were still really hoping to see a cheetah and a leopard up close. Cosmas and Reginald did everything they could that day to make it happen, and they succeeded. We greatly appreciated their enthusiasm and personal commitment.

The Serengeti was absolutely one of the highlights for us. The sheer vastness, the number of animals and the spectacular river crossing made a deep impression on us. The balloon flight over the Serengeti was also an experience we will never forget.

What sets Kembe Safari apart for us is the personal contact and the small scale. You really feel that they are paying attention to you and your trip, and that along the way there is all the room in the world to respond to whatever happens and to what you would love to see or do. That made our trip extra special.

We look back on our time in Tanzania with enormous pleasure and would certainly recommend Kembe Safari to anyone looking for a personal and special safari experience.

From late February to mid-March we had a wonderful holiday in Tanzania. Beforehand we discussed our wishes and ideas with the organisers. We love lots of freedom and flexibility and like to work out for ourselves what we find interesting. Kembe Safari handled that perfectly. The advice from the Dutch organisers before departure, and from the guide and driver during the trip, was very useful. You can’t arrange everything yourself there (such as access to the well-known parks), but this was properly taken care of, just as we wanted.

Kembe Safari arranged the first two nights for us. A fine, quiet and atmospheric place in Arusha. After that we found places to stay ourselves and were dropped off and picked up again just as agreed. In the Serengeti we followed the advice we had been given, and it was magnificent.

The vehicle, which seats 6 passengers, was very spacious for the two of us. There was always a full cool box on board. The pop-up roof is brilliant: you can easily stand up and take in all the beauty around you. We were there in the rainy season (don’t let that put you off!), when the roads in the parks are sometimes hard going. But we never got stuck, unlike many others. So with Cosmas you have a really good driver!

In consultation with the organisers we skipped the central part of the Serengeti. Most of the animals were in the south. That gave us more time for the area around Karatu, where there is plenty to see. Thanks to all the tips (including the monthly market, a creative workshop for people with disabilities and the Elephant Caves with their waterfall) it became an unforgettable holiday, and we ended up with a very thick photo book. Highly recommended!

We look back on our holiday with great pleasure! We had an unforgettable time, and that is largely thanks to our contacts, driver and guide. We made a last-minute request and everything was arranged incredibly quickly. Communication was quick, clear and transparent. During the trip, too, contact was very smooth and we got a quick reply whenever we had a question. They also helped us by optimising the route we had planned. They contacted the accommodation and within a day or two everything was arranged. This meant less time on the road.

We saw lots of beautiful animals on the safaris, and that is largely thanks to the driver and guide! They are also very reliable and friendly. They do everything they can to make your trip a success. The vehicle was spacious and comfortable, and the driver made sure we got everywhere without a hitch, despite the sometimes poor roads and long distances. You can tell that the driver and guide know the country and the safari parks well. They are also in close contact with other guides, which greatly increases your chances of spotting beautiful animals. And of course they speak the language (Swahili), so contact with the locals went very smoothly too.

They helped us in every possible way, from spotting animals, for example, to buying papayas by the roadside to organising a coffee tour and a walk near Kilimanjaro. You only have to say what you want to do and it gets arranged. All the entrance tickets are taken care of too, and pretty much every worry is taken off your hands. Apart from these fantastic experiences, they are all incredibly kind people who have your best interests at heart. Unlike the big tour operators, Kembe Safari feels authentic and sincere. For all these reasons we would definitely recommend Kembe Safari!