Reviews of Kiliholidays Tours and Safaris

Amazing experience! Totally recommend

I booked to climb Kilimanjaro and then do a safari with Kiliholidays (Mack, who was great at organising it all). I booked the 7 day machame route, which is most scenic and every day had incredible views, recommend this route! I have to say it was the best experience of my life, summiting is unexplainable you HAVE to do it yourself to totally understand the amazing, for me emotional, breathtaking (literally lol) moment and due to one guy, my guide Rufano Masi this was made possible, not only was he a guide, he was a friend. He made sure himself and his brilliant team went beyond everything they could do to make it a brilliant experience, I can defiantly say they exceeded in performance and expectation, I cannot thank them enough. Their smiles and support filled the camp every second of the day making even the tough times a lot easier. Every day was its own challenge and unique experience building up to the final summit day, Rufano was professional in every way and totally trustworthy and as a young (20 year old) single girl from England travelling for the first time on my own I felt totally safe and comfortable the entire trip. Rufano was encouraging making us all laugh everyday, he made sure we all had what we needed (and if I was missing something he made it available on hire) and from the very first time I met him at our briefing he was full of passion and determination that I would achieved what I wanted too, this passion was constant throughout the trip and myself and my amazing group submitted! His experience showed through his great knowledge and communication was easy, his English is nearly as good as mine! I learnt a lot from him, if I was in Arusha for longer I would have also loved to have gone on a coffee tour and visited the hot springs which I know he takes clients too, I will have to come back again! I don’t want to give to much away from Kilimanjaro because it’s an individual experience, am amazing sense of achievement which effects everyone differently I would love to encourage anyone thinking about it to just go for it and from my experience Rufano is a perfect guide! Oh and not to mention he is a great photographer capturing many special moment throughout the trip! We summited in 6 days instead of 7 due to Rufanos suggestion due to his experience and knowledge of the weather conditions not being the best if we had that extra day, myself and group trusted his opinion (he gave us the option totally up to us what we did as we paid for 7 days) but he knew best, and it was the best decision we made! It did mean squeezing 2 days into 1 but It showed it was a great decision because we made it to the top and I’m greatful and so so glad we did it! This is just one example of Rufano thinking about what is best for this clients in order to achieve that end goal. This meant we had an extra day of rest before safari which I was also grateful for! The safari was amazing During this 4-day camping safari you will visit the Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park. We saw lots and also saw rare things such as a leopard and also 10 lions catching a buffalo! Our driver was knowledgable of the animals and parks! Totally recommend this! Amazing experience! Thank you Kiliholidays, everything was organised from my airport pick up until last day of safari where I had my own accommodation sorted in Arusha (they dropped you off and were more than happy to stop by a shop on way back). Overall the best experience which I will treasure for the rest of my life no problem was too big/too small I couldn’t have asked for more!

Molly Davies

Great Safari, accomodating guide

The guide was very accomodating and flexible. He worked with our schedule and modified his plan and route to facilitate the things we wanted to see. He was very nice. I recommend this group for anyone.

Jim

Our guide Thomas was great.

My husband and I booked a 3 day private tour into Selous game reserve from 02 to 04 February with Kiliholidays. We reserved by paying 1/2 down and paid the remainder upon commencing the safari. We too had trepidation about paying more than 6 months in advance, but the company is honest. We kept in touch with Mack Kornelio by WhatsApp and arranged the pickup in Dar es Salaam thru this means as well. Mack is responsive. Thomas met us at our hotel in Dar es Salaam on the dot at the prearranged hour. He was super throughout the whole trip explaining fauna and flora as we went along. He is a great driver and professional guide and I can recommend him hands down. The negative portion of our trip was the nightly camp. Here USD 500 and 50,000 shillings were stolen from us by the staff at the Selous Jimbiza Camp from our locked lodge. We were the only guests, thus later the police ruled the theft as an inside job. Everything about this camp was negative - slow to react, simple breakfast not on time, food barely palatable. Simple hot water for coffee in the morning took too long despite stating the night before we’d leave at 0630h for the game drive. They would not even power on their generator because the camp had “its” schedule. I asked the ceiling fan at the restaurant to be turned on during lunch because it was very hot but got the response it would be at extra charge being outside generator hours! Jimbiza is not customer focused and contains thieves. Kiliholidays subcontracted to Jimbiza and Mack promised to sever relations with them upon hearing of the theft. I hope relations will be terminated not only by Kiliholidays but all other tour operators for the sake of future safari participants. However with this incident, Mack showed support for clients. He and Thomas talked and agreed to involve the police. Thomas took the initiative to take the room attendant to the police station in our vehicle with ourselves. He knows how to deal with local procedure. Thus we had an unexpected adventure to see Mloka police in action. All in all I can recommend Kiliholidays for safari tours.

alla1510

Our first family safari adventure was splendid, awesome & amazing experience, beautiful memories!

Our communications with Mach were prompt & effective, he answered all our queries very satisfactory.The services offered were great.We're happy & contented with the experience though we weren't lucky to see all of the big 5, we saw 4 of them, which was splendid.We'll start saving up for our next safari trip.Definitely, we'll be contacting you again on our future safari adventure in Tanzania.We had a fabulous & wonderful safari adventure with Kiliholidays, thank you!

Mariam

Excellent from start to finish

Communication was excellent. Mack was so very helpful in helping us to plan our trip. John our driver/guide was friendly and his knowledge had no limits, he did everything he could to make our trip truly amazing. The accommodation and game drives far outlived our expectations.

Becky Moxey

Amazing 3-day safari in Selous Reserve, perfect organization: definitely to recommend!

PERFECT! That’s how I can describe the safari we made with Kiliholidays in August. I was travelling with my 19 year old daughter and my 14 year old boy and we were 100% satisfied under all respects. Having limited time and budget, we chose Selous Reserve in the South, because it is only 5 hours by car from Dar-es-Salaam and offers an amazing experience of African wildlife during the dry season. Despite the short notice (few days) Mack, owner and manager of Kili, was quick and efficient in replying (overnight, both by e-mail and Whatsapp) and arranged perfectly our trip, advising us to the best to make the most out of the few days we had at disposal. His price was inclusive of everything and competitive compared to similar proposals found in the web. Our driver and guide Joachim was knowledgeable and always ready to answer our questions about Tanzania and wildlife, definitely an enjoyable company. Food was prepared nicely by cook Daniel, who took our preferences well into account. On the first day we were picked up at the ferry dock from Zanzibar short before 9am, the travel to Selous was itself a worthwhile experience through Tanzanian inland, in particular the last 100 hundred chilometers of dirt road through small villages. Our comfortable 4-wheel private vehicle showed absolutely no problem during the three days and went successfully through several routine police controls. We had a quick lunch in a local restaurant on the way and arrived at Selous Hippo Campsite – a small suggestive campsite outside Selous reserve - right in time for a wonderful sunset boat safari along Rufiji River: two hours among hippos, crocodiles and an amazing birdlife, definitely a plus of this trip. The following day Joachim drove us the full day through Selous Reserve, where we were overwhelmed with an incredibly abundant wildlife: dozens of giraffes, impalas, zebras, gnus, hippos, crocodiles, a few buffalos, lions, etc. They were often very close to our vehicle, which had a pop-up roof allowing us to enjoy all this at the best. Only elephants were difficult to spot on that day, but Joachim and our local guide Amir did not give up searching until we met a nice family including a baby elephant. Accomodation was in a comfortable tent for three persons, Daniel served us breakfast and dinner under a pleasant veranda facing the river. For our day in Selous and the travel back to Dar he prepared tasty lunchboxes. The 2-hour walking safari we had on the last day, accompanied by a local guide and an armed ranger, was really interesting and instructive tour and completed nicely our Selous experience. We left the campsite at around 10 am, as planned. Back in Dar es Salaam, Joachim helped us get our tickets for the ferry back to Zanzibar on the following day and then drove us to a budget lodge he had booked for us as per our request: definitely an attentive complete assistance from the first minute to the very last one! Should we get the chance to come back to Tanzania to visit the parks in the North (we are already dreaming of it), we will surely choose Kiliholidays again.

Maria Camilla

Fantastic experience with friendly and knowledgable guide

Kiliholidays provide excellent recomendations andwas flexible to modify program to our wishes (to reduce travel time). Guide, Sami, was extreemly friendly and knowledgeable and problems were solved adequately and within a reasonable time. Tour was great though we had underestimated the distance to travel between the parks. Southern parks are not crowded with lots of tourists so no traffic jams in the park this season. However in rainy season (hardly any rain during our trip) vegetation is dense making animal spotting more challenging. For easy spotting of animals Northern parks may e better alternative.

Serge Belgium

Four days with Kiliholidays

Before my trip to Tanzania I mailed many tour oerators to find perfect safari for me and my friend and at the end I decided to book safari with Kiliholidays Tours & Safaris. The communication with Mack was without any problems. After I came to Arusha we met in his office and agreed all details about safari. There weren't any hidden cost and any bad surprises. Our trip went smoothly exactly like in a programme I got before. That was budget safari and we were supposed to join to other tourists but there weren't any other clients so we had private safari and the price didn't change. The service was really good - competent driver/guide and really talented cook. We spent wonderful time and discovered a beauty of Tanzania.

Iza

Competent, reliable tour operator with a good price-quality ratio.

Prior to the safari, the quote requests and email communication with Mack Msechu, the Senior Safari Consultant, were efficient and informative. Payment of the entrance fee and the remaining balance went smoothly. Our safari guide, Brayson, proved to be experienced, a careful driver, and had extensive knowledge of the geography, local culture, and animals. We felt we had a very enriching experience. We highly recommend Kiliholidays.

Joao Ferreira

Excellent guides, fantastic safari and Mount Meru experience

Great holiday experience with Kiliholidays. We did the 4 day Mount Meru hike, followed by 5 day private safari tour. Very knowledgeable and friendly guides and porters. Meru was excellent - really felt cared for. Lodging basic but comfortable. Only improvement would be sending a kit list before arrival - we hadn't done an activity like this before and weren't sure of clothing needed/if we needed sleeping bags (they were hired for us upon request) or what the facilities were/ whether water would be provided (bring water bladder if you have it; water is provided but you need to take a reusable bottle - these can be hired at entrance to Meru park.) A brief kit list would have put our minds at rest! Also be aware of tipping rates when factoring in cash ($20 per day for guide, $15 for cook, $10 for porters up Meru; $20 - $30 for safari guide). Safari also excellent - guide fantastic with 10+ years of experience. Accommodation was excellent, vehicle was comfortable. Saw the big 5, which was incredible. Only improvement would be communication ahead of arrival - kit list etc would have made the process feel smoother. Once on the trip, however, the experience was excellent. Would recommend.

Emma

Safaris that never disappoint!

In June of 2025 I went on my second safari in Tanzania with Kiliholidays, and it was even better than the first! The management took great care and a great deal of time to customize my 6-day safari to meet my needs, which included almost 4 days in the Serengeti. They had the patience to deal with dozens of messages and questions I sent prior to booking, and addressed all of my concerns. They booked us into the Embalakai tented camp in the Serengeti, meaning we were able to stay out on the game drive until it was almost dark. This made for excellent photo opportunities near sunset! Embalakai is a high-quality tented camp with amazing food and friendly staff. I believe that Kiliholidays provides very good to excellent accommodation and safari service at very competitive prices - it's one of the most affordable options out there, short of sleeping in campgrounds (which we did not do). The best part is that our guide and driver, Thomas, is extremely experienced, knowledgeable, and flexible: an all-around good man and a real pleasure to ride with for 6 days! Unless you want to spend thousands of dollars more, go with Kiliholidays and you won't be disappointed.

Joseph

Our tour operator Steve was absolutely incredible!

Exceeded expectations and then some!!! From the planning stages to the final airport drop off, Kiliholidays was there supporting us every step of the way! For some situational awareness, earlier this year my friend and I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of doing a safari in Tanzania. So there we were, two American women with no real knowledge of what this trip would entail, preparing to make a substantial investment in ourselves and our dream trip. Neither of us knew anyone who'd done a safari so we made up our own rules when it came to planning. Kiliholidays met all of our search criteria but it was the quality of communication that we had with Mack that had us convinced very quickly that we'd found our tour group. We were not wrong. Kiliholidays took care of us every step of the way and for two women traveling alone in unfamiliar territory, it's a big deal to feel safe. We felt very safe with this team, and what an experience we had!!! Steve our tour operator was fantastic! Not only was the safari absolutely incredible regarding the animals we saw, but we met people, we had amazing food thanks to Chef D, and we just had a ton of fun. When we weren't in complete awe at the beauty that surrounded us, or learning lessons that we could have never picked up on the Discovery Channel, we were laughing and exchanging stories, and generally just enjoying the thrill of the adventure. I can say that after this trip I finally understood what people mean when they talk about the bucket list. I've traveled a lot, all over the world, and I've never had an experience like this. We are already talking about another tour in the future! Thank you Mack, Steve and Chef D for bringing a dream we've had for a long time into reality!

Raegan

A Truly Safe and Life-Changing Safari Experience with Kiliholidays

As two women traveling from the U.S. without the use of a travel agency, safety was our top priority—and Kiliholidays exceeded every expectation. From the moment we began coordinating directly with Mack, we knew we were in expert hands. Every detail was meticulously arranged: drivers were waiting for us at every transport stop, internal flights were seamlessly scheduled, and we never once felt uncertain or unsafe. “Outstanding” doesn’t even begin to describe our experience. Our guide, Steve, was phenomenal—knowledgeable, fun, and passionate. He brought every moment to life, from thrilling game drives where we saw all of the Big Five, to immersive cultural visits in local villages. His energy made the entire journey exhilarating and unforgettable. The safari itself was nothing short of epic. We weren’t just sightseeing—we were learning, connecting, and growing. It was a deeply enriching, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that left us changed for the better. If you’re considering a safari and want a company that prioritizes safety, professionalism, and unforgettable experiences, Kiliholidays is the one. We can’t recommend them highly enough.

Melissa Kirkpatrick

Amazing adventure!

Incredible experience. Mack made everything easy for us with booking, transfers, and various activities. Sleeping in the middle of the Serengeti and Ngorogoro was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The staff was very friendly and attentive, always looking out for our comfort. It was incredible to meet young people with such interesting lives to share. If you like adventure and backpacking, this is the safari for you. Incredible national parks! I recommend it 100%.

Lucia

Outstanding!

Our jeep safari at Kiliholidays was an amazing experience! Our guide, Thomas, was very knowledgeable and shared fascinating stories about the nature and culture of the area. He made sure we got the most out of the safari. The cook, Daniel, surprised us with delicious meals in the middle of nature. Everything was well-organized, and the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone looking for adventure and nature!

Frank

Amazing!

We booked a 9 day safari camping trip at Kiliholidays. The trip was amazing. The accomodations and campings were great. We slept in the middle of the Serengetti and Ngorongoro. You could hear the lions and hyena’s at night. Our guide Thomas was great, he knew a lot about the animals, surroundings and culture. Our chef Daniel was our so called stomach engineer, he served great meals. I really reccomend to book your safari at Kiliholidays.

Jessica

Good service with cost effective price

Review of Tours by Locals (Kiliholidays) I recently had the pleasure of booking a tour through Tours by Locals (also known as Kiliholidays), and I must say, it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. From the outset, the communication with our local guide was excellent. They reached out promptly after booking to discuss our preferences and tailor the tour to our interests. They were responsive to all our questions, which made us feel valued and excited about the upcoming experience. The level of service we received during the tour was top-notch. Our guide was not only knowledgeable but also incredibly personable. They went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves, providing insights and stories that enriched our understanding of the locations we visited. It felt more like exploring with a friend than a typical guided tour. In terms of value for money, I found the pricing to be quite reasonable given the personalized nature of the tour. The small group size allowed for a more intimate experience. Additionally, the insights and local tips shared by our guide made the cost worthwhile. The tour was well-organized and reliable. Our guide arrived on time and had all the necessary arrangements in place, which allowed us to focus on enjoying the day without worrying about logistics. This reliability is crucial, especially when traveling to new places. Overall, I highly recommend Tours by Locals (Kiliholidays) for anyone looking to enhance their travel experience with personalized tours. The combination of excellent communication, outstanding service, great value, and reliability made for a memorable adventure. I can’t wait to book my next tour with them!

WONG

great

thank all guys who guide and service for us，it is very nice and unforgettable，although it's very hard for me to climb.

mumu

Amazing Safari! Our guide Julius Mhina is very professional and knowledgeable.

Communication is very fast, the quotation is competitive with good service

Rita Pei