Latest Testimonials

  Great logistics for our scientific expedition to Kilimanjaro! - We had a great experience organising a scientific expedition to Kilimanjaro with the wonderful team at Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience (SENE).

Simon and Tara were warm, welcoming, and... read more very helpful in coordinating the overall planning and local logistics. Protus and the competent and professional team at SENE managed all the details of the mountain logistics, including meeting our specific scientific needs. Our guides, Jackson and Godlisten, and the porters were not only hard-working and friendly, but also went above and beyond to help us reach the summit in terrible weather conditions, and to collect and carry down heavy equipment.

We appreciate SENE’s commitment to the well-being of their staff and porters, and are impressed by their dedication to environmental sustainability.

We are grateful to SENE for taking such good care of us, both personally and professionally, and we highly recommend them to anyone planning an expedition to Kilimanjaro!

  SENE-- Perfection!  - If planning a Kilimanjaro trip, I highly recommend Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience (SENE) I’ve had the honor to summit Kilimanjaro 5 times with my latest summit in January 2025.... read more I’ve used SENE for the last 4 summits. I would not use any other company. From start to finish—joy and perfection!

The crew is professional, competent but also friendly. They’ll do anything they can to ensure a successful summit. A very positive for me was seeing MANY of the crew that I have summited with over the course of my 3 other summits with SENE. This reflects on the quality of this local company. From start to finish, it was fabulous. Tara was so very helpful in the logistics. She was very patient answering all our questions. There was not one glitch in the entire trip.

We were picked up at the airport and stayed at Simba Farm pre-climb. I have stayed there several times before and the place is lovely.

We did the Lemosho route. Jackson was the head guide. I have climbed with him several times and he did not disappoint. He always had a smile and encouraging words. He looked out for all in the group and was a large contributor to all 4 of us reaching the summit. He is an asset to the company.
Gonzo was great as the camp master. Every porter was great. From setting up camps, to the port a john tent, to the dining area, logistics were flawless. They were encouraging in the mornings and as we got back to camp. Such hard workers.
Shout out to Kiplet, the head chef. Meals as well as snacks were fresh, plentiful, and delicious. Roman was our dining host/server—what a gem.
Following the climb, we did a short safari. Daudi was the perfect safari guide.
I reflect on all my SENE trips—a sense of accomplishment, joy with many laughs along the way.
Tara and Simon, and the entire SENE team, a sincere thank you ---- my life has been enriched by the time spent in your care!

  Incredible, phenomenal, a dream... when can I go back?  - Thanks to SENE our trip to Tanzania was phenomenal and was the trip of a lifetime! I felt so well cared for at the Mbahe Farm Cottages and loved our... read more time spent there. The food and the team working at the farm cottages were incredible- Felix was so kind and a wonderful human to get to know! From Mbahe Farm to our safari trip, everything was planned to perfection- we felt so safe and taken care of. Our safari driver, Daudi, was so knowledgeable on the ecosystem and culture in Tanzania. There was not a question he did not have the answer to - he truly made our time at Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater so special. Lastly, Tara and Simon were so helpful through the whole planning process and very responsive, especially when my luggage was delayed! I cannot recommend traveling and booking through SENE enough, it will be the trip of a lifetime!

  Excellent Service!  - Sene organized our entire trip, from staying at the Mbahe Farm cottages to our safari at the Ngorongoro Crater. From the first communication, Tara was detailed and handled every step... read more with care. Both of our stays could not have been more perfect and our travel between our numerous locations was executed without flaw. We felt extremely taken care of the entire time in this beautiful country, which gave us the opportunity to truly enjoy every moment without worrying about the logistics of travel, thanks to Sene. I would highly recommend their services for visiting Tanzania in any capacity. Their expertise and attention is unmatched.

  Unforgetfule Safari trip!  - We had an amazing time. Everything exceeded our expectations. The lodges and camps were incredibly comfortable, and the staff were all exceptionally helpful. To our surprise, there were plenty of... read more ice-cold beer in the middle of the Serengeti, which made for an incredibly luxurious experience for us.

Jerold is an outstanding guide. His wealth of experience allowed us to see all of the Big Five, some of them multiple times, in a short 5-day safari trip. His knowledge of the parks, the animals, and the people living in this land is truly impressive.

Tara is extremely helpful at planning our trip to meet every traveler's needs. Many of us are already considering returning with family members. We will certainly reach out to Tara to plan our next trip!

  SENE Farm, Kilimanjaro and Safari Experience. We loved it!  - My wife and I are in our early 60s and our group also included our son, age 25. We booked 3 nights at the Mbahe Farm to rest up from... read more our flights and start acclimatizing. Then, the 8 day Lemosho route to the summit, followed by a 4 day safari. We had an amazing time! I think the farm might be the most chill place on earth. Great farm to table food as well. The climb was challenging for us but thanks to the guides and wonderful staff, our son and I made it all the way to the summit. My wife had high altitude problems, but the expert guides took good care of her and got her down mountain from base camp where she recovered. The safari accommodations were wonderful and our guide was hilarious. That part of the trip was relaxing and all fun and amazement. The vehicle was a custom Landcruiser - top notch. SENE took excellent care of us from pick up at the airport to drop off. Can’t recommend them enough!

  Such an incredible and memorable trip of a life time to Tanzania, all made possible by SENE!! My husband and I booked a 13 day Northern Circuit Kilimanjaro climb with... read more SENE in late September 2024. Hands-down, SENE had the best operator, guides and porter team that we ever could have asked for. Even before we left the USA, SENE was extremely responsive and made sure all our pre trip questions were answered. From the moment we arrived and departed Africa, SENE always went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, safe and immersed in their beautiful culture and nature. Our operator, Protas, was always extremely welcoming and thoroughly communicated logistics and expectations throughout our entire trip. Our guides during the climb, Victor and Innocent, were such amazing, smart and caring individuals. We absolutely enjoyed spending every day of our climb with them both, listening to their amazing experiences on the mountain and learning about their life/culture. They really taught us so much and we even learned some Swahili! Additionally, we stayed so well nourished by our amazing cook Juma! Every meal, snacks, tea time was incredibly delicious and fulfilling, Juma is so talented and a great guy! We were so amazed by how much fresh fruit and vegetables we had during the trip. It truly was some of the best food we have ever tasted! Lastly, our entire porter crew was incredible, hard-working and so friendly. Every crew member helped out so much at each camp, we were so grateful for every single one of them and how comfortable they made our climb. Above all, the entire SENE team made us feel extremely safe, kept us healthy and truly made it possible for us to reach the summit! SENE is THE company to climb Kilimanjaro with, and if/when we return to Tanzania, we certainly will be reaching out to them for our next adventure! Thank you SENE!!

  Extraordinary - We spent 15 days on a Safari with SENE. It was an amazing experience far better than I could imagined. We had an incredible crew with us. A friend and... read more I did tent camping..it was great. We did it the Tanzanian wayvery laid back and got to see just about every animal in Tanzania. We had a very knowledgeable guide/driver and a great cook/set up and take down camp person.We discovered by talking to other visitors that our guide had given us information their guide didn’t even know.so we became their”guide”. We felt very safe and got to visit different tribes and participate in their way of life. We went hunting with the Bushmen and I proved failure in making fire and shooting with bow and arrowif I had lived there I would have starved. But I can grind barley on a stone and work the bellows for metal work. With 400 Safari companies and for some of them their office is a cell phone we realized how lucky we were to have had the chance have chosen SENE as our company. We’re now part of the family.

Just a foot note: an example of Tanzanian laid-back style. If you make an appointment for 9am and you show up at 9:45am they’ll sayyou’re early. So my advice is do the Safari the Tanzanian way.

  Would absolutely love to do it all again! - After touring in Tanzania we came to rest and then go on to hike Kilimanjaro and safari in Tarangire and Ngorongoro crater. It was fabulous from start to finish. Tara... read more helped us in every step to make sure our trip included what we wanted and that all arrangements were complete and out trip seamless. When arrived at Mbahe Farms we were greeted by wonderful staff who helped us with our bags and guided us on the short hike to the farm. Once there we were given refreshments and then shown to our rooms. They were very cozy, with comfortable beds and attached bathrooms.. The views were beautiful. Felix was the perfect host. He took us on walks, was our patient guide , along with Jackson, on the hike to Kilimanjaro and was a fun part of our meals. Chef Alex's meals were mouth watering and Lillian was our ever attentive server. All of them made us feel welcome and right at home.. The sitting areas lended themselves to rest and conversation.. Felix and Lillian gave us a delicious and informative coffee demo and tasting.. It was a great experience all around.. We left Mbahe Farm to go to Tarangire Park for safari. We met Simon and his staff and our guide Gerald. Gerald was funny, informative and showed us everything we could have hoped for and more .The vehicle was clean and comfortable. It was well maintained and safe. We stayed at beautiful locations -the kati kati tented camp and the isoitok village.. Our lodgings were comfortable, beautiful and a great reflection of the surrounding culture. All ou meals were superb.. I hope some day to return. I would use SENE again and have recommended it to friends and family.

  Robust and safe adventure. - I can't say enough good things about our experience with SENE. From booking with Tara, and being taken care of by Pascal in Tanzania on safari we felt welcome... read more and safe.

Pascal was informative and knew his way around the parks we visited (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire). He was very concerned with us seeing all the animals, and made every effort to get us to the places where they were.

Accommodations were good in both the tented camps and the lodges. Tivuli was like an oasis.

Definitely recommend.

  An unforgettable Tanzania adventure! - We had an amazing two week stay in Tanzania thanks to SENE! Tara, Simon and their team greeted us as we arrived in JRO, coordinated all of our travel for... read more the next 14 days, and saw safely back to our return flight to the US. We cannot say enough great things about this team!

SENE arranged for our accommodations in Moshi (Ameg Lodge) while we were visiting friends there. I appreciated this as I was having some trouble booking directly with the Lodge. Tara made our reservation, which went perfectly, and ensured we had comfortable and well appointed rooms. We couldn't have been happier with our 5 nights in Moshi!

We spent the next 9 nights on safari, with SENE drivers, guides, and reserved accommodations. Our SENE driver got us safely to the Arusha airport in time for our flight to the Serengeti. We had four fabulous nights in the Serengeti. There was one hiccup, which SENE quickly addressed and corrected for us. We were so appreciative of their responsiveness and attention to detail. While in the Serengeti (at Lahia Lodge) we also enjoyed a sunrise hot air balloon ride, which was incredible. I highly recommend! Our guide, Daudi, was excellent! He was engaging for our family of 5 (13 years - adult). He always had some wisdom to impart and did so in a way that was engaging for everyone! And wow, he had a knack for finding unique wildlife sighting. It was incredibly special!

After 4 nights in the Serengeti, we departed for two nights on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater at Entamanu, at the recommendation of SENE. This was an incredibly special experience! The environment was so different and our family really enjoyed our two nights at the intimate retreat. Daudi continued to be an excellent guide during this time; we can't say enough good things about him!

We spent our last 3 nights in Tarangire NP, at Mpingo Ridge. Wow! The views, the service, the game drive experience. Everything was fantastic! Daudi knew the excellent spot for a family photo, and we so appreciated everything we saw and learned.

We wrapped up our trip with a half day in Arusha and a delightful dinner at RiverTrees before boarding our flight home. From start to finish, SENE provided an excellent experience. We hope to return to Tanzania, and will certainly engage SENE to help us plan an unforgettable trip! Thank you Daudi, Tara, Simon, Maureen and the team at SENE!!

  I didnt conquer Kilimanjaro: I had a team that made it possible - Thanks to Simon Mtuy's SENE: I didn't conquer Kilimanjaro. I paid attention, cooperated with the mountain in optimal conditions. Made the summit on Mar 10 2024; and more importantly, made... read more it back down safely on my own steam.

I'd first met Simon in June 2007, having photographed him after his sub-24hr finish at the Western States 100. Friends told me about his tour company, and i'd always wanted to do it. Finally I was able to.

I'd booked the longest trip possible [11 days Northern Lemosho Route] with Simon Mtuy's Summit Expeditions to get as much altitude conditioning possible. A shorter trip [5-6 days] would've been a brutal pounding; like a tent-peg in the dirt, with a likely non-summit finish.

The team is completely professional-- med checks AM & PM, with oxymeters to make sure you're at your best that day. The Gamow Bag was there, but not needed, as nobody went into extremis.

The support team of cooks [who performed miracles on large single burner propane stoves] were amazing. The porters were utter professionals. I bow down to them. All I had to do was to stay competent. I told them "Babu makes it back to airport in one piece", which got a laugh, since i kept humble and watched my footing at all times. FWIW I ran ultras for 30 years, and Kili trails are no joke.

  There are many American, European and African adventure travel companies offering Kilimanjaro climbs. After considering several expedition companies, the one I chose is Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experiences (SENE).... read more While NOT the least expensive company, I choose SENE for several reasons:

1) A good friend of 20 years, and fellow REI Co-Op member, climbed Kilimanjaro with SENE back in 2010 and highly recommended SENE to me. He has always had very good things to share about SENE. Also, I work part time at REI and I helped a REI Co-Op member in early January 2024, who also had climbed Kilimanjaro with SENE in 2010, again in 2014 and is going back a THIRD time to climb Kilimanjaro SENE in July with his now teenage son. Both are huge fans of SENE, as I now am, too.

2) SENE is based in Tanzania and owned by Tanzanian, Simon Mtuy, who after working for several other foreign climbing companies wanted to start his own high-quality, safe, and ethical Tanzanian-owned adventure travel company (back in 1998). I wanted to help support such a local business.

3) SENE is an international ‘Leave No Trace’ partner. They follow the seven principles of outdoor ethics. Additionally, they use portable port-a-potties on the mountain and Cleanwaste Wag Bags for human waste. They pack out what is packed in – and they collect garbage left behind by others along the climb route and in designated camping areas (which I also typically do when hiking).

3) SENE is also a partner with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and follows KPAP guidelines for the proper treatment and compensation of their local guides, porters, cooks and other support staff on the mountain.

4) With bases of operation in Moshi Town at the foot of Kilimanjaro and the village of Mbahe at 6,000 feet (1,800m) on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, SENE is firmly rooted in the mountain community from which it came from.

While at the Mhabe Farm Cottages, I first met SENE owner Simon Mtuy who provided a very nice welcome and took time to review and explain the ten-day mountain route that I, and my two other climb partners (Larry and Megan), would be embarking on.

Simon’s brother, Felix Mtuy, hosted us at the Mhabe Farm and led us on a tourof the land surrounding the Mhabe Farm before we traveled to Kilimanjaro National Park. He was our lead mountain guide on Kilimanjaro and also led a very enlightening half-day walking tour of Moshi after we were off the mountain. Felix was awesome and a truly wonderful person, as were all the 20 porters, cook, food server and secondary guide, Adam. They all worked very hard and were all great people.

Felix shared with me that bedside he and his brother, Simon, his father and grandfather were also guides on Kilimanjaro. Now in his early fifties, Felix, has a deep and long connection with Kilimanjaro and knowledge of what the mountain was like 10, 20 and even 50 years ago. Whenever Felix offered advice or a recommendation, I always took it – and was better off for doing so.

Additionally, Simon’s spouse, Tera, was my primary email contact assisting with most of the pre-planning, logistics and coordination of my trip to Kilimanjaro. She answered all my questions, and her pre-trip advice and guidance was great. I got to meet Tera (and Simon again) at dinner on my last night in Tanzania. Both Simon and Tera were a pleasure to meet and a delight to visit with.

I have been a backpacker for forty years with many multi-day treks in the mountains out west, and a rock climber and mountaineer spanning 30 years. I have also completed a month-long Outward Bound alpine mountaineering course in SW Colorado (between Durango and Silverton) in 1996. I have climbed at Devils Lake State Park (WI), the Devils Tower National Monument (WY), the Wind River Range (WY), and in Teton, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite National Parks. With this personal experience, I can attest to the experience and knowledge that Felix and our secondary guide, Adam, both have regarding Kilimanjaro. They kept Larry, Megan and I all well supported, informed and safe on the mountain. With their support we all successfully summited Kilimanjaro without problems.

In addition to Kilimanjaro climbs along various routes, SENE also offers a 3-4 day climb on Mt. Meru (the second tallest peak in Tanzania at 14,980 feet and only 70k from Kilimanjaro), lower altitude backpacking treks on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, various safaris, bicycle tours, multi-day trail running trips, and excursions to tropical Zanzibar (off the coast of Tanzania). Based on my recent experience on Kilimanjaro, I plan to do some safaris and a stay on Zanzibar in the future with my spouse through Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experiences (SENE).

Without reservation, I highly recommend Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experiences.

  Superior experience! - SENE was the exceptional combination of professionalism, thoughtfulness and long experience. Attention to detail ranged from food and drink to the 2x daily oximetric measurements to monitor your health from... read more start to finish.

  Service and Safari Trip of a Lifetime! - I can't say enough about the care and support our SENE staff shared with us on our recent trip to Africa. SENE arranged both our fabulous week long service trip... read more in Tanzania and our week long safari in Kenya, and we couldn't be happier with our experiences in both countries. Our service trip and time spent in Mbahe Village was so personal and special, it was a truly soulful journey that we were so happy to share with our traveling group of 10, as well as the kind, considerate staff at Mbahe Farm Cottages. Though spent outside of Tanzania for the second leg of our trip, SENE was able to coordinate us with 2 wonderful, luxury safari lodges in Kenya that were absolute gems (Borana and Lewa Wilderness Lodges). Thank you to SENE for crafting the most magical service and safari experience we could have wished for, we are so grateful for your stellar itinerary planning services!