Company Owners, Mathew Jensen and Albert Keronye
Tapestry of Africa Tours and Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2024)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $600 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Ron A | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A 'Trip of a Lifetime' visiting national parks and reserves, customized every detail and hassle-free
I began researching my dream retirement trip about a year ago. After reviewing dozens of safari tour websites, I kept coming back to Tapestry of Africa. The reviews and testimonials seemed to describe exactly the kind of "trip of a lifetime" I had been dreaming about for years. I filled out an inquiry on Tapestry's website and shortly afterward received a phone call from Dr. Matt Jensen, the company's founder and owner.
During that initial call, Dr. Matt wanted to understand exactly what we were looking for so he could customize every detail and create a trip that would be both adventurous and hassle-free. He scheduled a Zoom call with us a few days later.
On that call, we discussed visiting both Kenya and Tanzania and exploring their national parks and reserves over a three-week period. My wife of two years was somewhat reluctant about traveling to Africa. She had previously visited Uganda through the college where she worked and remembered the "budget-friendly" accommodations and long hours spent traveling between parks on rough, potholed roads. I promised her this trip would be different.
During the Zoom call, Matt presented an itinerary he called the "20-Day Beyond Luxury: A Kenya and Tanzania Safari Spectacular." In Kenya, he selected Meru National Park, Samburu National Reserve, and Masai Mara National Reserve. In Tanzania, we would visit Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park. We would then return to Kenya to visit Amboseli National Park, famous for its stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
To minimize long drives on rough roads, Matt included six internal flights between destinations. The package included all game drives—I participated in more than 20—as well as meals, drinks, a couple of spa treatments for my wife, and a hot-air balloon ride for me.
We stayed in beautifully designed tented suites, along with a few properties that would be considered luxury hotels. All the while, we were surrounded by national parks and reserves filled with incredible wildlife. We saw all of the "Big Five," along with cheetahs, wild dogs, hippos, and countless other animals.
Everyone we encountered was exceptionally kind and helpful. From the greeters at each camp and lodge to every member of the staff, we consistently received five-star service. Our guides and drivers—including Benson, Amos, Sammy, and others—were incredibly knowledgeable. After spending two or three days with each of them, we felt we had developed genuine friendships.
One of the greatest sources of peace of mind was knowing that if we had a question or encountered a problem, Albert, Hilda, or Matt were only a phone call away. Because we were traveling as a couple rather than with a group, we initially had some concerns about logistics. Who would meet us at the remote airstrips? How would border crossings work? Who would be waiting for us at each destination? Tapestry of Africa had every detail covered and checked in with us almost daily throughout the trip.
Did everything go perfectly? No. Air Kenya canceled two of our internal flights without explanation. My guess is that it was related to fuel costs and low passenger numbers. However, Tapestry informed us as soon as they learned of the changes and immediately arranged alternative transportation. It meant a long day traveling by safari vehicle over bumpy roads, but the situation was completely outside of Tapestry's control.
For me, this truly was a trip of a lifetime—one I will never forget. I returned home with more than 2,000 photographs to help preserve the memories of everything we experienced.
I give Tapestry of Africa five stars and would highly recommend them to anyone seeking an unforgettable African adventure, combined with the comfort of knowing every detail is professionally handled.
Email Jim | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
TOA provided everything we could have expected with a safari.
Selecting a Safari Tour Operator can be a daunting task, as there are so many operators and places to go. To boil it down I selected 3 with good reviews and requested quotes. Only one was respectful of our requirements (particularly budget) and flexible in working with us to maximize viewing time and minimizing travel time between camps - that was Matt from Tapestry of Africa. We decided to limit our 10 days to Kenya to minimize travel time and Matt selected 4 “venues” (2 national reserves, a national park, and a private conservancy). The lodges Matt selected were all great. As there were 7 of us, we chose to have two safari vehicles (Toyota LandCruisers). This made animal viewing easier, and gave us back-up if either vehicle had a problem (neither did). The driver-guides (Macharia 'Masha' Kamau and Joseph Ndungu) that hosted us were wonderful - competent, knowledgeable, and all-around great guys. With their leadership we saw every type of animal one could expect to see, and learned so much about the animals, landscape, and peoples of Kenya. Our thanks to all the TOA team: Matt, Albert, Hilda, and Elizabeth. If we go on safari again it will be with these folk.
Email Dr. Steven Myers | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tapestry of Africa is great at planning Safari experiences and their personnel are wondeful
After running the Cape Town Marathon, our group traveled to Kenya, where we started our safari adventure with Tapestry. Matt and Albert came personally to receive us at the airport. Since we arrived early, they took advantage of the extra time by taking us to a sanctuary where we could feed Giraffes. It was a fantastic experience. We stayed the night at a beautiful hotel by Serena. We then drove to Amboseli Park for our first safari, it was awesome and our driver, Kim was great! We stayed at the Amboseli Lodge, which was cozy and had a beautiful view of Mt Kilimanjaro. Next, we traveled in landcruisers to Tanzania, where we hiked 5km up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our group returned home the next day, but my wife and I arranged for 2 more safaris at Lake Manyara and at Tarangire for 2 extra days. Our driver, Yuda, was stupendous. We saw many animals at beautiful Lake Manyara, but Tarangire was impressive with its many Baobab trees. There we even saw a Leopard resting on a branch of a tree! We stayed the night at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, which has wonderful accommodations, a beautiful mountain view of Lake Manyara, and cozy environment. Meals were all included in the package and were very tasty. Our safari trip with Tapestry was indeed an amazing experience of a lifetime! Thank you Matt, Albert, Kim and Yuda for a fabulous adventure!! You guys are awesome!!
Email Stephen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an Amazing Adventure—A Must Do
This was simply an amazing adventure with GREAT people and group! So helpful. So responsive. So understanding. Even fun watching how easily and smoothly can pivot to accommodate different people requests!!!
Tips—pack for varying temps (backpack with windbreaker, short sleeve, gator or mask for dusty)
Have lots of $1 and $5 USD for tips to the locals (very grateful) along with $10/$20, don’t need big bills. And will haggle—if don’t like that, shop with your “auntie”
Use credit cards that don’t have foreign fees. Accepted everywhere it seems so don’t need to convert to local.
Have back up batteries for phone/camera. And lots of storage.
Have nice comfortable walking shoes and socks for feet. And try to wear gentle full up to calf light compression socks daily. (Will thank me later)
Pack your meds and OTCs like to have. Expect URI symptoms and such simply from travel and the dusty roads. And malaria prophylaxis and vaccines
Last—and cannot emphasize this enough, in preparation and while, if have any questions or issues or such, TALK TO MATT and his folks. While there, talk to his staff as well. Amazing people he works with, interesting stories and backgrounds. Talk to the guides he hires to take you on the adventures. Overall, a great time!!!!
Email Teresa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentive and responsive from the beginning of the planning process through to the end of the trip
This started out as a bucket list trip for my very able bodied 86 yo mother. I reached out to Matt about a year before to solicit information and he got back to me immediately with a few questions regarding time and budget and then a full itinerary landed in my inbox the next morning. We chose the luxury level- Matt and Tapestry of Africa did not disappoint. We ended up being a group of 5 women, ranging in age from 33 to 86, and everyone had a wonderful time. Our safari was 11 days and we traveled/drove through 5 National Reserves/Parks in this order Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Amboseli.
Our safari was during a 'shoulder' season - which has its pluses and minuses. The major plus was a more intimate experience with the animals. In the Maasai Mara we were one of no more than three cruisers at any given location looking at a group of animals, and many times the only vehicle. We saw 13 different animals on our first day alone. This plus also translated to accommodations that weren't busy and a private hot air balloon ride. Another plus was the mild temperature - we had maybe one or two 'hot' days, but the rest was very comfortable and minimal bugs. A minus was the rain - realizing we had no control over this and this was a risk we took going in March. But what we weren't prepared for were the road conditions and the time it took to travel from one location to another. For example, our drive from the Maasai Mara across the Tanzania border to the Serengeti took all day and the roads were terrible - my smart watch congratulated me thinking I had exercised - just to give the reader an idea.
Accommodations - these ranged from upscale tent cabins with ensuite bathrooms to 5 star hotels, all with excellent service and care. Everyone was so kind and generous. The food was outstanding and just got better and better at each location.
Packing - we were all able to do the the trip with carry on luggage- all of the accommodations offered laundry services, with some being complimentary - so that made it easier to pack lightly.
Animals - They didn't disappoint. A couple of the game drives, just after some rain, were on the quiet side, but overall the Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire did not disappoint. The only animal we did not see up close, but did through binoculars, was the Rhino. Everything else including cheetahs and a leopard shared their space with us.
Tapestry of Africa - Our point people on the ground were Hilda and Albert - and they were always available on a moment's notice to answer questions or give directions and we were lucky enough to meet Matt at the end of our trip as he was just arriving in Nairobi with a group of volunteers. Our drivers - Joseph in Kenya and Andrew in Tanzania - were outstanding and very skilled drivers. They were so knowledgeable and enjoyed sharing that knowledge and also had great senses of humor - which made the trip that much more fun.
If I do it again ....I will bring more cash ($1000-$1200) and in small denominations - the cost of the Tanzanian Visa at the border was $100 in cash, and the small denominations help out with tipping ie: $1 to attendant in the public bathrooms, and having the cash allows you to tip your guides directly.
I would fly in between a couple of the locations instead of driving - we spent A LOT of time in a vehicle. For example, I would fly from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara or Maasai Mara to the Serengeti and then from Amboseli to Nairobi.
Overall a fantastic experience and adventure. We would definitely recommend Tapestry of Africa.
Our guide was courteous, friendly and knowledgeable.
This Safari was so well thought out and planned. The tour director was visibly on site and available to address any questions. His staff also available and accommodated all questions and concerns, they demonstrated flexibility, and was knowledgeable in all areas of the location, history and geography.
Email Angela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Matt and his wonderful team was knowledgeable and passionate! They were all outstanding!
My experience with Tapestry of Africa Tours was absolutely outstanding. The trip was well-organized, stress-free, and filled with unforgettable experiences. The guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about sharing the culture, history, and beauty of each destination.
Every detail was thoughtfully planned, from accommodations to activities, allowing us to fully enjoy the journey. The team’s professionalism and personal attention made the experience even more special.
I highly recommend Tapestry of Africa Tours to anyone looking for an authentic, memorable, and expertly guided travel experience. I would happily travel with them again.
Email Amie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING experience!
I was part of a group of 4 couples going on safari together. Fortunately we chose Tapestry of Africa! From the updates from Matt to meeting Albert, George and Joseph in Nairobi we LOVED our trip. The accommodations were all different, very interesting and top-notch. George and Joseph are so knowledgeable, professional, friendly, fun and helpful! They did a wonderful job of getting us to where the animals were hanging out and about giving us time to watch, photograph and enjoy before moving on. We looked at several tour operators and found Tapestry to be very reasonably-priced while providing much bang for your buck!
Would HIGHLY recommend!
(On a personal note I was thrilled to find that the founder of Tapestry is an American dentist, Dr Mathew Jensen, who has founded a non-profit to help with dental care in Africa! Part of the cost of each safari booked goes towards the goal of getting dental care to those who would otherwise go without! Definitely a win-win situation!)
Email Marcela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Our safari with Tapestry of Africa was absolutely AMAZING! We traveled as a large group, and they were incredibly accommodating and wonderful every step of the way. From the communication and planning to the hotels, meals, exciting game drives, exceptional staff, and everything in between, it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will treasure forever.
We are a group of marathon runners from Florida called Friends In Training, who first traveled to Cape Town to run the marathon before continuing on to Kenya. The marathon was a big deal for us. For our final dinner in Kenya, the team surprised us with a special congratulatory cake for all of the runners! That thoughtful gesture meant so much to us and made an already incredible trip even more memorable.
Because of the size of our group, we were divided among four different vehicles, and every driver was exceptional. Their knowledge, professionalism, and dedication helped make the safari an unforgettable experience.
We love pictures and they were very accommodating even with that as well!
Our hike to Killimanjaro was absolutely incredible too!
We highly recommend Tapestry of Africa and are so grateful for the wonderful memories, and the exceptional way they took care of us ❤️
Email Tracey | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent & well Organised
We have just completed 14 days of private (group of 4) game drives in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya & Tanzania with Tapestry of Africa. From the very beginning Matt & Hilda were very responsive. Our guides Jacob, George & Vincent were execllent with their driving, knowledge of the animals & network of fellow guides who share the locations of the animals. You are not able to leave the roads, so need to rely on the animals being close to the roadside to get a good look. Be patient and nature & your guides will provide. Our experience far exceeded our expectations. Every drive was a new & exciting experience. We went for middle tier accommodation & all our rooms were very comfortable. Most meals were buffet style & variable in quality, but always plentiful......remember these lodges are isolated & we never got sick or went hungry...so no complaints here. To say the people of East Africa are delightful is an understatement. Nothing was too much trouble & service was always with a smile. We requested quotes from several tour companies & Tapestry of Africa came in as the most cost effective & most flexible. I would go again tomorrow. It was a "trip of a lifetime".
