Discover Wild Friends.
Rafiki Tembo Tours and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2025)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, IATA, TATO, TTB, TTA, TASOTA, TANAPA & NCA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $2,081 to $20,814 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Jami | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great adventure made possible by a professional, trustworthy team!
QUICK SUMMARY: We loved the tour; we felt we were in excellent hands; the guides and chaperones were exceptional; any hiccups were smoothed over quickly and professionally; the team was very responsive and proactive with communication throughout the entirety of trip. I would definitely book with Rafiki Tembo again.
Before booking, I asked a friend which tour company she used when she went on safari in East Africa 8 years ago. But after searching for the company online, I learned they had since gone out of business. I chose Rafiki Tembo from the listings in SafariBookings based on the positive reviews, the destinations included, and price point. It was a leap of faith, but it turned out to be an excellent choice!
Rafiki allowed my group (3 travelers total) to customize our trip, so we added an extension from the mainland to the island of Zanzibar for the last 3 days. We also chose to arrive in Nairobi from the U.S. a day before our official tour began so that we could visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery and the Giraffe Center, both of which are in the Kenyan capital. While we made our own hotel arrangements at the Fairview Hotel for this pre-tour time in Kenya, Rafiki offered to arrange all transportation, from airport pickup to our hotel, and to and from each of our Nairobi destinations. (Shout out to our driver George, who was so sweet and patient!)
After Nairobi, our official safari began with our Kenyan guide Unique Gee, who whisked us away from our hotel to the Great Rift Valley. He was funny and engaging and answered all of our many questions about wildlife and Kenya in general as we made our way through the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. He also shot quite a few photos which he shared with us for free. (Thanks Gee!)
We stayed at 2 different Sopa lodges on the Kenyan safari and the accommodations were excellent. Beds were comfortable, views were sweeping, and the food was delicious and abundant with a wide variety of options (it was buffet style). The staff were also very pleasant and helpful. In addition to the game drives, we also did a hippo cruise and walking safari in Naivasha. I recommend both!
For our next stage of the trip, we flew from Nairobi to Arusha, then to the Seronera Airstrip, where we met our guide Deo, who took care of us throughout our Tanzanian safari. Like Unique Gee, he too was amiable and very knowledgeable about the wildlife, land, and people. We really enjoyed getting to know both Unique and Deo, who seemed more like friends showing us around than hired guides.
For our time in the Serengeti, we stayed at the Osero Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp. As the name suggests, we stayed in tents, but it was more "glamping" than camping as they had comfy beds and full ensuite bathrooms. While the food wasn't quite as good as the Sopa lodges, it sufficed. The staff and service was excellent, and we enjoyed chatting with them. Note: wildlife are free to roam through the camp at any time, but we never felt unsafe.
Our drives were longer in the Serengeti because the park is larger than the Maasai Mara, and wildlife is more dispersed. In addition to the larger game, we were able to spot some of the smaller animals, like a klipspringers, colorful lizards, a serval, hyrax, banded mongoose, and more.
After the Serengeti, Deo drove us to the Ngorongoro Crater, where more wildlife and awesome views awaited us. We stayed at the Farm of Dreams Lodge in Karatu, which was very charming. The next day we opted to do a cultural tour of Mto Wa Mbu. Don't miss out on this!
We had the choice between biking and walking, we chose the latter. Rafiki arranged for local guide Abdul to take us to a Maasai boma, a local wood workshop run by members of the Makonde tribe, a community kitchen where we ate some of the best food on the trip, a banana beer bar, and a primary school. Again, be sure to add it to add the cultural tour to your itinerary. (Thank you Abdul for sharing your town with us!)
For the final part of our trip, we flew from Arusha to Zanzibar. Here, we were taken excellent care of by Joshua and Yusuph. The first day we went on a snorkeling trip arranged by Rafiki with Jofari Safari Blue to a sand bar and smaller island. It was great fun! The second day we toured the Hakuna Matata Spice Farm and then did a walking tour of Stone Town. We really loved our time in Zanzibar and wished we could have remained there longer, but we had to get back to the U.S. (Thanks again, Joshua and Yusuph!)
What a fantastic trip! Traveling can be stressful, but we had a lot of peace of mind thanks to Rafiki Tembo. We felt like they had our best interests in mind throughout our time in East Africa. They had so much to coordinate on their end (accommodations, domestic flights, various tours in 2 different countries, guides, drivers, etc.). Even though they are a newer company, they were consummate professionals. They are also good people who you will come to know and love as we did! For real!
Thank you Lowassa and team for everything!
P.S. Rafiki Tembo have the best safari company name. "Rafiki" means "friend" and "Tembo" means "elephant" in Swahili. Elephant Friend! What's better than that?
PT
Email Maria | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience. Incredible and very well-organized tours.
I had an absolutely incredible experience with Rafiki Tembo. From the very first contact, the organization demonstrated a high level of professionalism, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and without any worries.
The guides were simply exceptional — always friendly, attentive, and extremely available to answer questions and tailor the experience to our preferences. The passion they show for what they do makes the safari even more special.
Another highlight was the comfort of the vehicles. Very well equipped and thoughtfully designed, they provided us with a safe and comfortable experience throughout the entire journey.
Without a doubt, I recommend Rafiki Tembo to anyone looking for a memorable safari experience. I confidently give them 5 stars!
Superb
The safari was very comprehensive, the guides were knowledgeable and kind. I was extremely satisfied with the service. The parks we visited were safe and have excellent biodiversity.
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Email Luis Ribeiro | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Good ; Very special
Amazing
Super Team
Top Organization
Incredible Availability
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Email Kiera | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Rafiki Tembo really go out of their way to take great care of you on your incredible journey!
We researched several safari companies before booking with Rafiki Tembo. We chose them because of their willingness to customize our tour to our needs/wishes, their great communication, their good pricing, and positive reviews.
Rafiki Tembo is a fairly new company. They are very eager to provide excellent service and it shows! There were a few points of confusion and a couple mix ups with our itinerary but they worked quickly to resolve them and offered some extra unplanned perks like a candlelight bush dinner.
The entire team was very professional and a pleasure to interact with, especially the guides who were all very knowledgeable and easygoing. The company director checked in regularly and was quite accessible when we needed assistance or had questions.
The accommodations were well chosen and comfortable. The food was usually very good—lots of choices. The boxed bush lunches could use improvement—too much sugar, but that is probably something the lodges control.
Overall, Rafiki Tembo did an excellent job taking care of us. Safaris can be challenging. There is a lot of travel involved and switching accommodations often. It’s important to have a company that communicates well and cares about helping you along your journey. Rafiki Tembo definitely delivered for us! Asante sana, Rafiki!
PT
Email Maria Frutuoso | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
A WONDERFUL trip, from what I saw and felt. I thank the Rafiki Tembo Tours team for their competence, knowledge, kindness, and comfort, exceeding all my expectations.
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Email Duartina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My lifelong dream was an unforgettable experience 🇹🇿♥️
Rafiki Tembo Tours provided me with one of the best experiences of my life.
The demonstration of their professionalism begins with their punctuality, allowing me to make the most of my day visiting Tangieri, Ngorongoro, and Manyara National Parks, which I had the privilege of exploring and witnessing incredible moments of wildlife. The perfect communication between all the guides at Rafiki Tembo Tours allowed for a real experience of unique moments of animal life in the jungle and savannah. The excellent photographic report captured unique and unforgettable moments of the excellent safari days. I must say that the visit to the Maasai tribe was incredible, as being able to watch and participate in their dances and customs was a pleasant surprise.
Moments forever etched in my memory. Thank you Rafiki Tembo Tours. I recommend Rafiki Tembo Tours' services for the professionalism and safety they provide to tourists.
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Email Fatima | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionalism, competence,
Unforgettable days, with excellent organization and a high-quality team of guides. I especially want to highlight guide Anolde for his friendliness, availability, and professionalism. The communication between the guides is further proof of the good organization, which provided us with excellent animal sightings. Despite the demanding routes, the comfort of the jeeps made all the difference. Without a doubt, a 5-star company.
Thank you. Asante sana Rafiki Tembo
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PT
Email Vasco | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simple the best
Always available and helpful. Very good, everything, I recommend 100%. Nothing negative to point out.
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Email Lígia Pinto | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
an excellent operator with very capable people
Excellent organization. Excellent team Rafiki Tembo Tours
Always ready to show us the best
Dedicated people, always with a smile, always punctual, never let us run out of water and Coca-Cola :)
It was the 1st Safari I did and I loved it. For what I saw, for the company, for the joy emanated by the team Rafiki Tembo Tours
humble people, they received us at the airport as if we were the most important people in the world
When I go back there, I want this team Rafiki Tembo Tours again
Rafiki Tembo Tours it is excellent and Tanzania is beautiful
Lígia (Portugal)
