Email Andrew Ahn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mixed bag.
I already passed this onto our tour rep at mufasa tours.
The trip was mostly good.
Read on:
I note there's no star rating above for accommodation?
The driver (Joe) was great. No complaints there, he did a fantastic job, very happy with him.
AA Lodge Amboseli was not good. Badly run. So many things wrong with the place, mostly at the restaurant such as
- starting one meal an hr late with no excuse or apology given
-bones in the pork stir fry
- running out of food (specifically bacon and pancakes) 20 minutes before the end of breakfast service
-napkins always damp
- sometimes we had napkins, sometimes not. I saw one table with 7 places have one napkin in the table
- cutlery laid out randomly, I once had 2 knives 3 spoons and one fork.
-swimming pool not nice at all
- WiFi available only at cheetah bar, and very slow
-in our packed lunch there was a sandwich with one Slice of cucumber.
-no butter anywhere, only blue band
-OK selection of food but no chapatis or kachumbari
-waiters were often slow to ask us for drinks and to clear our table
-the layout of the restaurant meant it was difficult to get from our table to the food stations, as we had to squeeze through tables
-poor level of English spoken
On the plus side, the room was big and the bed comfortable.
I would recommend new management or remove them from your package tours.
In one game drive we stopped at serena lodge to use the bathroom and have a coffee. And the difference between the 2 places is simply _ridiculous_ .
Amboseli Park itself was great. Very enjoyable.
In Tsavo east the hotel we stayed in (name? ) is a bit old but the service and staff were MUCH better, and the restaurant was much better run.
Despite being older, and needing some refurbishment, this place was simply better in every way. And we managed to see a leopard.
The manager (Dennis) and all the staff were attentive and spoke good English.
Only recommendation for this place, other than refurbishment, is to use insecticide more liberally, as the insects are numerous. Not a problem for me but my partner hates insects. Also, new mosquito nets.
BG
Email Tsvety Tsoneva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenya - a fullfiled Dream!
It was an amazing experience perfectly organized by Pride of Africa Adventures (the organizer) and Big Time Safaris (the provider).
I travelled with a friend of mine and booked the trip in November to start on 4th January.
The transfers to and back the airport are included in the package.
The hotels are decent and nice having in mind we have booked a budget to mid-budget safari. The camps in Masai Mara and Amboseli - they are nothing more to wish for in the middle of nowhere. Warm to hot water - everywhere - enough to wash your hair and electricity in the tents not only for charging digital devices but also for a hairdryer.
The food - I missed the real sugar and chocolate hahaha. However, the food is pretty OK. There is always something to choose from the buffet. There is always meat (beef and chicken), rice and beans, mandazi - my favourite, their kind of bread, as well regular bread, salads - cabbage+carrots, potatoes. There are always fruits - pineapple, watermelon and mango. The milk is the most delicious natural eco, bio milk in the world - always served on breakfast for instant coffee and cocoa. There is always on breakfast mango juice too.
Never forget to bring for 1 week at least 2 repellents - you will definitely need them.
The program itself was pretty interesting at least for people for 1st time on an African Safari. We saw absolutely every animal in the Lion King :D except for the cheetahs.
There are long drives between the parks itself but they are pretty bearable and you never miss a game drive in the morning or in the evening.
2 litres of water per person every day.
I should mention and our Guide-driver-ranger - KEN - we were soooo lucky to have him. He did his really best to find all the animals for us, to keep us save, to make us happy with fulfilling every wish. He answered absolutely every question and we learned a lot of things from him. He was very patient and never complained that he is tired because of the long and difficult driving and never cut off from our time of visiting the parks. We woke up early to see the real wildlife and he really took care for our safety even when stuck in the mud, which was a great fun for us. For him maybe it was exactly the opposite from fun but we enjoyed it :) It was him who managed to keep all of the described program so as never miss a thing!
Remember - ask all your questions in advance and read the answers carefully. As well you should always have in mind that you receive the service you paid for : if it is a budget it IS budget, as well mid-budget etc.
And one more thing - remember that it is nature out there - and if you do not see any kind of animal you wished, it is just because you were not lucky. My next time - I really hope I will see the cheetahs. :)
Email Santiago Morillo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing travel with wildlife in everywhere
All safari was very excited, we could see a lot of different animals with nice landscapes and weather. We used the services of Lenchada Safaris and was really good, very punctual in the schedules, good transports and food als and finally comfortable places for rest.
I recommend the safari in this country and Lenchada Safaris for an excellent experience with a very reasonable cost.
TH
Email Nipon Voramethkul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
when I recalled the tour, I recognized this is a dangerous country.
the capital Nairobi is a city full of gang of robbers. be careful! better skip the capital or other big city.
CZ
Email Radana | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I recommend to combine safari and hiking (and maybe some relax :) )
The nature in Kenya is beautiful and its goods to do some trekking in the mountains and cross many vegatation belts and to participate in some safari.
CA
Email Dan K. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A unique, unforgettable and worry-free Christmas adventure
Around a year ago we planned a ten-day trip from Canada to Kenya for the Christmas holidays. We hoped to spend some time relaxing on a beach as well as visiting a couple of national parks. Lucy collaborated with us to put together a ambitious itinerary which fulfilled all of our objectives, despite our time constraints and distance.
The overland drives across the Rift Valley from Nairobi to Lake Nakuru, then along the Mau Escarpment to Masai Mara were fascinating, with some amazing views. Covering that distance on the ground gave us an appreciation for the diversity of Kenya's geography and people. Kenyans drive on the opposite side of the road than what we are used to and the roads can be challenging, so we were grateful to have friendly and professional drivers to safely and efficiently transfer us from place to place.
The lodges that Lucy booked for us were outstanding – spacious, comfortable and well appointed – and the staff were warm, calm and solicitous without being overbearing. Being greeted with a refreshing warm washcloth on a tray everywhere was delightful! The game drives were fantastic, and the incredible guides helped us see over 30 different species of African wildlife. These professional naturalists helped us appreciate not only the animals’ beauty but their complex social interactions as well.
Lucy also arranged a quick turboprop flight from an airstrip just outside of our lodge in Masai Mara to Ukunda Airport in Diani Beach, enabling us to spend a restful couple of days at a resort on the Indian Ocean, complete with beautiful white sand beaches and ocean swimming. We concluded our visit with a full day in Nairobi with a car and driver, and visits to a number of local attractions, including the Giraffe Center and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to visit baby elephants.
We were well taken care of from our arrival in Nairobi onwards. The overall trip, while ambitious, was worry-free for us. We've already started thinking about plans for another visit and are very happy to have worked with Lucy and her team for a unique and unforgettable Christmas trip!
Email Rosa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
We would recommend Zippy and Australken very highly, they are a great company. We had a 7 day trip in Kenya which was absolutely fantastic. Our tour guide Albanas was so informative and genuinely enthusiastic about seeing all the animals which meant we had a good time, he was very patient too rather than chasing animals around like some of the tours do not stopping to watch all the interesting moments take place. He also knew hundreds of birds off by heart to tell us about. The cook Daniel also made us tasty vegetarian food and the places we stayed were all great.
Zippy is very well organised and thinks of every detail, she made it simple to book and ask any questions we had before our trip, she met us at the airport and checked in with us during the safari, she even kindly helped us book another trip we wanted to do in Tanzania even though it was a separate company. Thanks Zippy for being so helpful and accomodating and making our holiday so enjoyable.
RS
Email Mihail Petreski | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, the devil lies in the details
We took a three days safari in Tsavo East and Amboseli National parks, starting from Diani Beach. Seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat is really great experience which could have been even better if we took care of some details.
During these three days, we spent approx. 24 hours in the van, either traveling from one place to the other or within the national parks. It is very important to rent a good car, with good suspension and air conditioning. The air conditioning is not going to help much in the national parks, since the roof is open for watching the wildlife, but it is essential on the way back from Amboseli to Diani Beach (11hours in the car). Make sure the car is in good shape since we had two car problems which required us to leave the vehicle (in the national park) and stay on the road in the middle of the day. The people were very friendly and helpful. Our guide/driver was doing his best to fix the problem, even colleagues from other agencies stopped and helped. But we could have been much better without that experience.
Altogether, it was challenging and unforgettable. :-)
AR
Email Betiana Malzone | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most incredible experience of my life
I went on a 6 day safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli parks and what I lived around there is just extraordinary. Since the moment zero, when we've been picked up in Nairobi the vibes of the guide, the people I've been sharing it with and the things I saw were just amazing. I thought that I may get to see an animal far away but instead I found myself 2 metres away from the big five while they were looking at me so friendly. It's an experience I would do again for sure. I went on December and the wheather was good, some rains but not too much, just refresh the air so makes it perfect. The food and accommodations in the tended camp were very good and decent. Jocky Tours gave us everything we need and the timing was perfect. Kikitu, our guide couldn't be better. His energy, good mood, and knowledge made from our trip the most especial ever. I totally recomend it!! Karibu Kenia Hakuna Matata!
SUPERB LIFE CHANGEING ADVENTURE
Dellago Tours organized the trip very well. Our driver, Joshua was exceptional. Juliette, the tour organizer was very wonderful, flexible and easy to contact. This was by far the best trip of my life to date. So many wonderful memories. We saw so many animals with their babies. We came home optimistic, happy and overwhelmed with the beauty of the world.
