Met many Kenya people who are not honest, always try to swindle money out of visitors
1.Wildlife is great.
2.No smog control on vehicles, therefore, air pollution is serious especially in big cities.
3. Met many Kenya people (people on street, Guide/ Driver, Park security) who are not honest, always try to fool you and swindle money or taking advantage of visitors. (Some women asked me to take ONE picture for them, then asked for US$20. Tour Guide said he has no money to buy me food/water after I had paid meals/water/tour to the tour company. Security at Masai Mara asked a tip of US$ 50 for a 5 minutes walk. etc.)--I have travelled many places around the world, and I have never met so many greedy people in one place!
AE
Email Bindu Nair | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome... must expierence one in your lifetime
We booked our 9 days safari from Kenya walking safaris ... the whole expierence was very professionally managed...Special thanks to Mr. Otineho from Kenya walking safaris...
We went to Samburu, Nakuru, Masai Mara and Naivasha... at all places the accommodations were very good... our tour Guide Mr. Benson was awesome... he was very attentive and took good care of us .... we were lucky to see the big 5 and many many more animals in their natural habitat ... the trip to Hells Gate National Park was a very different and would highly recommend it.
We would strongly recommend to book through Kenya Survivors waking Safari and ask for Mr. Benson as your tour guide.
GR
Email Despoina Christaki | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We truly enjoyed the beautiful people,the nature and its wildlife!
We truly enjoyed every moment of our safari. We had a 7 day safari with "Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris",with our 6 year old daughter and we all loved it! The communication,the accommodation, food, transportation and our guides was all good for us! Whatever we were expecting to see our guide made sure to see it and explain everything about it without even ask. Big thanks to Peku! He is truly a 5star guide with great experience and good vibe! A part of our trip we did it with David, also a great guide and we thank him a lot! Very nice people!
What we loved about Kenya of course was the wildlife but also the beautiful people! We’ll be back!
LT
Email Linas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience to see so many wild animals in a single location.
Like: amazing wildlife, spectacular Kilimanjaro scenery, clear Indian ocean waters with marine life and corrals, competent guides and friendly people, reasonable and clean accommodation;
to be improved: transportation infrastructure (took ages to drive from one part to another, some roads were so poor quality, looked more like off-road rally), excessive pressure on tourists to purchase souvenirs on the beach or national parks entrances
SE
Email Anna & Gunnar Wikmark | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect trip to Maasai Mara, Kenya
Maasai Mara was a must for our first visit to Kenya and we wanted to experience both the national park and the Maasai living there, if possible. Not merely as spectators but as part of the daily life. We were looking all over for a tour company or guide that could help us to that experience and finally found what become the perfect match for us in Mpario (John) and Corinna at Namayiana Safaris. A more devoted and friendly couple would be hard to find elsewhere and their sense for our, sometimes not so clearly articulated, wishes was outstanding. They arranged everything we asked for, from picking us up at the airport in Nairobi, lodging and allowing us to get to know Nairobi, lodging at the camp in Maasai Mara, game drives, introduction to the Maasai and the Maasai culture (John being a Maasai warrior himself), a most pleasant night in the Maasai village and even a hike to the mountain above the village, including an insight in Maasai medical plants. In Maasai Mara we were provided exactly the kind of tented camp we wished for, the Fisi Camp. We made visits to the park three days in a row, at evening, mid-day and morning. Johns driving skills on the sometimes quite challenging dirt roads and even more skills to be where the animals appear gave us fantastic opportunities to be close to many lions, elephants, fighting hippopotami and many more animals in various surroundings and situations.
When their spare driver, Jimmy, four nights later dropped us at our friends place in Kakamega, also a part of the agreed arrangements, we had a camera full of astonishing photos and our hearts full of Kenya and several new friends, not only John and Corinna. We now recommend all our friends to visit Kenya and to ask Namayiana Safaris to be their guide we and long for the next time in Kenya.
Incredible
We visited Kenya in March, the start of the wet season. I was warned that wildlife isn't good this time of year. However, on our way to our first camp in the Masai Mara, we saw almost every animal we wanted to, and that was just on the way in! The wildlife here is abundant and varied. Our accommodations were absolutely beautiful and comfortable, with all of them offering delicious food. The roads can be a very bumpy, and the country is quite big so traveling by car can give you a sore behind! I certainly couldn't help but wonder how some mature travellers were handling it.
The weather through the day was lovely, not too hot, not too cold. The rains did set in in the afternoon, but it always cleared by morning. It didn't interrupt our game drives too much.
We loved our time in this country and highly recommend it to others interested in a safari.
US
Email Ronald Prentkiewicz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We enjoyed Kenya wildlife.
Loved seeing and learning about the wildlife. Since that was our purpose and goal for the trip, Kenya surpassed our expectations in that area. There was an abundance of wildlife at all the locations visited and we would not have skipped anything on our itinerary except for Lake Bogoria. Masai Mara, Ambroselli, and Lake Nakura were our favorites,
Most accommodations were adequate.
I did not think Kenya or its wildlife parks were tourist friendly. The lack of bathrooms was surprising.
Mixed review for tour company and guide. They kept changing our lodging and trying to give us lesser quality lodging. Guide knew a lot about wildlife but would only share what was specifically asked. I felt like I had to fight to get all that was included on the itinerary either to save money on park admission or make the job easier for the driver/guide. Driver had very good driving skills.
High pressure sales tactic used at rest stops which were not appreciated.
US
Email Dan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenan Travel and Tours was first class for our once in a lifetime African Safari!!!!
This was our first family trip to Kenya. Traveling from the USA we wanted to use a Kenyan company that was reliable of course it is hard to find a lot of information on companies but was able to research Kenan Travel and Tours and note that they were part of KATO. Still until you actually take the trip it seems like a "leap of faith." Well let me tell you for anyone considering going to Kenya-- Kenan Travel and Tours is the way to go!!
From the beginning Geophrey was extremely easy to get in contact with and responded to emails very quickly which was a great start. When we arrived in Kenya after a long flight Geophrey was there at the airport to greet us and get us to our hotel in Nairobi. We were a group of nine and Geophrey handled all details leading up to our arrival to Kenya. Our trip was customized to include the things we wanted to do unlike the USA travel companies that required so many days in certain areas this personal touch was something that allowed us to go to the places we wanted not the places that the "USA tour companies" required-- Kenan delivered on a first class private tour.
The following morning in Nairobi we met in the hotel lobby and our itinerary was reviewed and we were escorted to our six seater Land Cruisers. Since we were a group of 9 we had two four wheel Land Cruisers that had plenty of room with comfortable seating--two to a row with sliding windows and a roof that popped open. The drivers were first class with incredible knowledge of the parks. Our driver was James and he did an absolutely incredible job of driving through the many bumpy back roads and national parks of Kenya. Our trip was 12 days and we traveled to Samburu, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, and Amboseli. James was absolutely incredible as a tour guide---and for a point of reference we have travelled extensively across the USA, Canada, Europe, South America, and now Africa. He had extensive knowledge of the parks and animals-- he was an like an encyclopedia when came to the many various animals--- everyone knows the big animals but his knowledge extended even to the small wildlife I don't there was a bird that I asked about that he was not able to educate me on. Of course we saw all of the Big 5, but we saw so many of the other mammals and birds and James was able to get us in a position to take pictures of a lifetime. The places that we stayed were extremely nice the food was excellent and the staff was very enthusiastic. Of course you can customize your trip with Kenan to stay at different levels of hotels. We found the Sopa lodges to be very nice. Everyone has their own level they desire and would encourage all to read about hotels booked and where they are located in the parks but we enjoyed our stays at Sopa and then Kibo at Amboseli. I would encourage anyone who is considering going to Kenya that they use Kenan Travel and Tours you will not regret it!! They will give you that personalized experience and allow you to customize things that you want so that you can have the level of luxury that you desire. I would give a big thanks to Geophrey, Shem (who drove the other Land Cruiser for other family members and he to had an extensive knowledge of Kenya!!) and James. James for my family you created an absolutely incredible once in a lifetime African Safari. James we hope to see you again in the near future!!!!
IE
Email Patrick C | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overpriced Destination
Safari was great. Guide was knowledgeable. Balloon was a rip off. Way overpriced at a ridiculous 400 USD/per person for an hour flight. Then poor quality photos were an optional extra 40 USD. Kenya would be great if they didn't automatically screw you and charge you double/triple on everything just because you're white or a westerner. Also there is a sense of entitlement among those providing services, like they deserve to screw tourists, or that you must tip as they feel owed!!
Email Lynne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We visited Katanga forest, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara and Amboseli over 9 days
Kenya is a great place to visit on safari. We enjoyed everywhere we went - which was a self picked itinerary. In retrospect I think we should have visited fewer parks in the time available as we did have some long days driving. Our driver was excellent at finding game for us - and was always keen to find as much as possible for us to see!
Food and accommodation everywhere was very good.
