Email Meg | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amzing wildlife
I enjoyed my trip, but there are few things I must say.
Safaris are overbooked. We had 10 people in the van ( including driver). For people sitting in the back or front sit (next to the driver) it was difficult to enjoy the experience. It was too crowded, sometimes I couldn't even turn or stand up for the view. Missed quite a lot because of that. Bare in mind people in the van won't just let you see.They want to enjoy as well and they won't just sit and say 'your turn now'. Vans should be bigger or less crowded.
People here will give you a price after looking at you and judging how much money you have. Prices are visible only in supermarkets.
Be careful what you buy. Souvenirs often contain bone, skin or plant fragments that are illegal to bring back home.
If you decide to stay in Nairoibi, avoid city centre. It's overcrowded, easy to get mugged. I alsao have beed sexually harrased and called names for no reason. Racist.
Rubbish everywhere. It was heartbreaking to see so much plastic and other stuff along the road. Very bad for environment.
Avoid raw fruits and vegetables, eat only what's been cooked. You never know what kind of water they used to wash.
Food was often cold. We stopped for lunches on our way from one park to another and never had a hot meal. Easy to get food poisoning.
Be prepared to spend a lot of money for tipping people. Every little thing they do for you they will expect you to tip them, some will even tell you how much.
On the good side wildlife is amazing.
You see the same animal many times and still don't have enough.
Most of the parks are really big. You just keep driving.
I liked the fact that they are kept as natural as possible (no modern roads, few stops with actual toilets etc.) Gives you real wild experience.
US
Email Sean W Ryan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was a fascinating experience, both in terms of nature and in culture!
The trip to Masai Mara was incredible, filled with amazing animals and wondrous scenery, especially at sunrise. The guide was conscientious about keeping us in the vehicle for our safety, but there were times when he would go off the trails, which did raise some objections among our group. I took the five day tour, but I would recommend a three-day safari instead. The only real bad part of it was the camp, and really only when we tried to sleep--the mosquito nets were ineffective, and on the second night, the power was out (I use a CPAP when I sleep, so this was a real problem for me), and as a result, I did not sleep well until the third night when we got to stay in a hotel.
I and other members of our group found the meeting in the Masai tribe very interesting but a bit problematic: When we were offered a chance to visit their village, we were charged a fee, which they told us was to support the village. We accepted this, but then we were confronted with peddlers in the village and railroaded into making a donation to the school we visited. This can strike a western tourist as dishonest, and it may help avoid awkward confrontations if these things are also mentioned upfront instead of sprung on us at different stages of the visit.
QA
Email Elene | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Out of Africa Wildlife beauty
Going to Kenya on Safari is a must if you love to see animals in the wild. I visited the Masai Mara which to me was worth it- I was able to see most animals except for the Rhino and the Lion. I saw several Lionesses but not a Lion. Seeing the animals in the vast expansion of the park was priceless. We also drove to the border of Tanzania and along the Mara river where we saw Hippos and Crocs just hanging out. The final visit was Lake Nakuru where I was lucky to see both the white and black Rhino but I do not recommend this stop. It feels more like a drive-in Zoo, its a much smaller park and you do not get the sense of vastness as in Masai Mara. You can still see many giraffes, Zebras and war hogs but in comparison to Masai Mara not worth it. The lake is also far and the flamingos you don't really see. On safari the packed lunches and picnics are disappointing, wether low or mid-range budget. This is for sure an aspect they need to improve. We had some vehicles problems that delayer our trip considerably but the tour operator managed to get us to our destination by hopping on other tours.
The people in the country were very nice and welcoming. There is a good food scene in Nairobi with lots of modern fusions and foodie places to explore. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Karen Blixen museum having read the book and seeing the movie I wanted to visit the site. There are many areas in Nairobi where you can shop and mingle with the locals, we did not feel unsafe at any moment and found everyone very kind.
Email Louise Morris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
magical
Our ranger picked us up from our hotel bang on time. Salim he was brilliant. so full of knowledge. you could ask him anything and always bang on with the answer. We went to tsavo east and stayed in vio Lodge. On entry to the safari we seen so much . we done a 2 day 1 night safari which was perfect for us. cos as much as we loved looking at the animals I think when you see 1 elephant for example you seen them all. what an awesome experience a safari is. and we were very lucky to go on 1. Harri done the booking and he was always at the end of an email If I had a question. The lodge was lovely ideal for 1 night don't think I could of stayed longer to be honest. Rooms were clean etc but for 1 night is more than enough. the surroundings of the lodge is to die for. so much to see and so relaxing. food was nice. we had dinner and breakfast included but we had to pay for the drinks. I would 200% recommend doing a safari if you lucky enough. awesome magical experience.
CH
Email Fort Marlène | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful landscape, nice food, the people we meet were very friendly
We had a very good time in our safari. We went in Ambosoli and viewed lots of animals and the lodge (Elewana Tortillis) was a very good place to be. In Masai Mara we stayed in Emboo River Camp who's the best place we had in this safari. They have a very good sustainable concept with their own energy production, rational use of water for their garden and recovery of kitchen waste to produce biogas. In the Masai Mara we also had the chance to see wild animals up close, including a cheetah that hunted a tompson gazelle. During our five-day safari, we saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, hippos, lions, crocodiles, a cheetah and many other wild animals and birds. We highly recommend Betty and Amos for organising a safari. It's the first time we've had such a warm welcome. Their driver Ruben and their French guide Ezechiel also accompanied us very warmly during our stay. Thank you for the perfect organisation!
Email Belinda | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The African skies were amazing a contrast to Malawi
I spent 3 nights in the Masa Mara between volunteering in Malawi and Kenya. It was an amazing interlude between the 2 countries and we had 2 excellent guides and drivers. It's possible to see some fantastic game without spending a fortune by staying outside the park boundary. This is not luxury but more than adequate with ample food and some timed internet. The scenery was amazing.
CA
Email David Thompson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ripped Off
Due to health issues we had to cancel our safari trip to Kenya…despite following all of the procedures to obtain a refund less a 10% administration fee and despite assurances our refund was being processed…the tour operator has ghosted us and we have lost our money $4,500 USD.
NL
Email Andre L (The Hague) | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful Wildlife and Scenery that is protected and cared for
I visited Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. In 4 days (3 nights) using Balu travel. Isaac was my private guide and he was amazing. Besides having a hospitality background and gaming experience, he was a friendly and caring guide who made sure that i had a great trip. The hotel in Nakuru ‘Sarova Woodlands’ in Nakuru town was ok with very friendly staff, good internet and buffet restaurant (but no gym) . The tented lodge in Masai Mara ‘Emayian Luxery Lodge’ was amazing. All inclusive and fine dining, jacuzzi in front of the tent and very friendly staff. The two parcs had abundant wildlife including the famous big five. But also many other animals. The facilities inside the parcs are less than in South Africa (no picknick areas with washrooms). This is inconvenient when traveling the whole day. In Masai Mara we made a stop at a crocoldile walk-centre and at the airport for a toilet break, both locations did not have toilet paper.
CH
Email Ariko Odero Ochola | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was simply beautiful
We really enjoyed the tour. The vastness of the parks is impressive. There is something to discover everywhere. The landscape alone is fantastic. Watching the animals makes it even more exciting. Our driver Maromaro was very friendly and drove us safely through the areas. We met a lot of elephants, which was exciting because they were very close to each other. We will have fond memories of the safari.
Friendly people, beautiful parks, one of the kind meeting with the nature!
Kenya it's a perfect place for everyone who love nature. There are many parks, whee you can meet African Big Five. I recommend to start with the Arc the hotel in the middle of Aberdare National Park where you could spend night surrounding by while animals.
You should also visit the capital Nairobi, where find good place to sleep and delicious is no problem at all. Visit Karen Blixen Home and don't forget to stop by Giraffe Center where you can pet and feed giraffes . I think the good time visit Kenya is fall when great migration has place. This counry is also great spot for beach and warm ocean lovers.
If you need more information check my blog: http://www.travelpod.com/members/ania12
