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Splendid Vacations
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2023)
- Member Of:
- AMREF & TOSK
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
SG
Email Jo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Splendid is amazing. Jackson & John is superb. Alex Masila is a red flag 🚩.
*The only review you need to read*
I recently completed an incredible Kenya–Tanzania safari, travelling from Nairobi through Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara, crossing into Tanzania for Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, before returning to Kenya for Amboseli and eventually Nairobi.
Our group consisted of photographers, and we specifically requested guides who understood how photographers work. For us, a safari is not about rushing from one sighting to another. We are willing to spend hours waiting, repositioning the vehicle, and observing animal behaviour in order to capture the right moment.
We had three different guides during the trip, and unfortunately, the experiences varied dramatically.
⭐ John — 5/5
John was our first guide, covering our time in Kenya including Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara.
From the moment we met, John introduced himself properly and gave us a clear briefing before getting started. He was punctual, responsible, responsive and, most importantly, adaptable to the way we wanted to work as photographers.
John consistently made sure we were in the best possible position for photography and was willing to adjust the vehicle whenever necessary. He also suggested suitable game-drive timings and accommodated our request to head out as early as possible so that we could maximise the prime morning hours.
He was attentive to the small details too, regularly making sure we had sufficient drinking water throughout the journey.
Our experience at Masai Mara was superb, and John set a very high standard for the rest of the safari.
⭐ Jackson — 6/5
If I could give Jackson more than 5 stars, I would.
Jackson was exceptional throughout our time in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. He understood exactly how we worked as photographers and never made us feel rushed. Our game drives often started before sunrise and continued until just before sunset. We spent countless hours searching, waiting and positioning ourselves for the best possible wildlife encounters.
One of the highlights was witnessing the Mara River crossing. Jackson's patience and understanding of wildlife behaviour played a huge part in allowing us to experience and photograph such an incredible moment.
What made Jackson stand out wasn't just his ability to find wildlife. Along the way, he constantly shared his knowledge about the animals, their behaviour and the surrounding ecosystem. He patiently answered the many questions we had and genuinely seemed to want us to leave Tanzania knowing more than when we arrived.
He was constantly looking out for the best possible experience for us.
We left Tanzania with not only some of the best photographs of our trip, but also a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the environment and wildlife.
Jackson elevated an already excellent safari experience to another level. By this point, our group was genuinely hyped for what was still to come.
⭐ Alex Masila — 1/5
Unfortunately, our experience with Alex was the complete opposite.
Alex was our guide for Amboseli National Park and subsequently our journey back to Nairobi. After having such exceptional experiences with John and Jackson, the difference was extremely disappointing.
When we boarded the vehicle at the border, there was no proper introduction or briefing. I only learned his name, Alex, through another guide.
The biggest issue was that Alex did not appear to understand how our group worked as photographers. He was frequently in a rush to move on, even when we were still taking photographs.
On multiple occasions, the vehicle started moving while members of our group were still taking photos. When we told him we were not ready, he moved off anyway. Given that we were often standing with large camera equipment on uneven roads, this was not only frustrating but also a genuine safety concern. There were several occasions where members of our group were nearly thrown off balance.
There was also a safety issue with the vehicle itself. One of the seat armrests was broken and had sharp metal protruding from it. I personally suffered a cut on my leg from it. Thankfully, members of our group found something to cover the exposed metal, which prevented further injuries.
There were also issues with the itinerary.
Our programme clearly indicated a morning game drive followed by a hot lunch at the lodge. However, when we discussed the following morning's game drive with Alex, he appeared unaware of the arrangement. After checking the itinerary, he contacted the lodge and arranged for packed lunches instead.
I subsequently had to stand at the lodge counter trying to explain that we were supposed to have a hot lunch. The lodge staff told me that their instruction from the driver was to prepare packed lunch and that I would need to clarify it with the driver.
Arranging for the next morning was another major disappointment. We specifically wanted to leave at 6:00am for the game drive, which was consistent with how we had conducted our previous game drives. Alex told us that we needed to rest and insisted that we leave later at 7am instead. After discussion, he eventually negotiated a departure time of around 6:30–6:45am.
By this point, our group was understandably frustrated.
I contacted Splendid, and Alice stepped in and resolved the matter promptly. I appreciated her responsiveness, but unfortunately, the damage to the experience had already been done.
After having such incredible experiences with John and Jackson, our Amboseli portion felt like a completely different safari. It was particularly disappointing because the rest of the trip had set such a high standard.
What made the experience even more disappointing was being asked for a tip at the end of the Amboseli trip despite everything that had happened.
I believe guides have a significant impact on the safari experience, especially for photographers. Patience, communication, safety awareness and an understanding that wildlife photography requires waiting and positioning are extremely important.
John and Jackson demonstrated all of this exceptionally well.
Unfortunately, our experience with Alex fell far short of that standard.
CN
Email Cris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience for Chinese Travelers
Among the many quotes from different travel agencies, we chose Splendid Vacation because Brenda's quote was very carefully prepared and the communication was very smooth. After landing, the guide Tim and Brenda picked us up together at the airport. From the very first day, we could feel that Tim's driving skills were superb—he was overtaking cars the whole time. Throughout the entire safari, Tim's driving skills were also outstanding, and he was very patient, taking us to see so many animals. In less than four days, we had already seen all of the Big Five and the Ugly Five. The overall experience was great! There's no problem for Chinese people to choose them either!
CN
Email Lynn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a fantastic trip. Our guide was highly professional
The trip has been absolutely wonderful, and our guide is very professional.
CN
Email Ava | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable safari
A truly unforgettable safari. Guide Tim was very experienced and very nice. His driving skills were top-notch, and even his photography skills were excellent. Over a total of 7 days, we had already gathered the Five Kings of Africa and the Five Uglies of Africa halfway through. Super lucky. In the morning of Nakuru, the fleeting leopard appeared for only 30 seconds. Tim caught the opportunity. The itinerary was very well planned, with no extra charges. The accommodation and meals were both excellent. It was a wonderful trip to Kenya, and I look forward to meeting again next time
CN
Email Lu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience
This safari was absolutely unforgettable. Thank you, Brenda, for customizing our itinerary in advance — all communications went very smoothly. Our guide Timothy was extremely professional. During the game drives, he always positioned the vehicle at ideal spots for photography and adjusted our position whenever needed to give us the best possible views of the animals. Tim also told us about the animals’ names and habits throughout the trip. We were incredibly lucky and saw every animal on our wish list. I would happily recommend Splendid Vacations to my friends.
PT
Email Leandro Oliveira | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent guide, private car, and every animal we hoped for
Booked a safari with Splendid from Portugal and it has been great so far. Janet answered everything fast, before and during the trip, which made a big difference.
Ol Pejeta gave us the last two northern white rhinos on earth, Naivasha was full of hippos and fish eagles, and the Mara has been incredible. Leopard, three cheetahs, a whole pride of lions, hyenas, the lot.
Gabriel, our driver guide, is excellent at finding animals and knows exactly where to position the car. Private vehicle the whole way, so we stop whenever we want and stay as long as we want at every sighting, which matters a lot if you are into photography.
Highly recommend them.
Email Nan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent safari trip in Kenya and Tanzania
Our main contact Alice was very responsive and professional. She helped customize our trip in Masai Mara and Serengeti smoothly based on our needs. The drivers/guides in both countries (Rono and Edgar) were very nice and strived to find as many animals as possible. We had a great time and the value for money was high!
MT
Email Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely attentive, flexible and professional in creating a fantastic customized Safari holiday
We started planning our holiday a year in advance and were in touch with a number of travel agents / tour operators both at home and also from Kenya. Splendid Vacations was one of two or three which we came across on TripAdvisor. We received information and quotes from all them, but it was clear from the beginning that Splendid Vacations seemed to be the most professional in terms of the communication and assistance to provide a number of options when creating the itenary for the week. As it turned out, Splendid also offered the best pricing.
James Kilorit was our primary contact, and patiently helped us with the planning as early as 9 months prior to our holiday. Once we had agreed on the destinations, James proposed various hotels / lodges, ranging from luxury to budget. However, we were not restricted to his suggestions. We actually found some additional accommodation options ourselves and he was able to include them in the package.
Our guide and driver for the week was Alex, who was great. Passionate about his job, his knowledge of the game parks and animals was impressive. Alex was polite and helpful. We were able to witness the Big 5 in their natural habitat within the first couple of days.
Some advice on the actual game drives - whether you are staying in a luxury or budget accommodation, the guides are always going to take you to see the same animals. So the choice of accommodation is not going to impact your 'animal spotting' experience. What will make a big impact, however, is 1) your choice of vehicle ; 2) whether you have it exclusively for yourself or are sharing with others. We had a Toyota Land cruiser to ourselves (family of 5), and this was great. We saw others squeezed into smaller vehicles, and we did not envy them at all.
At the end of the safari we spent 1 1/2 days in Nairobi to relax before our flight back. We had been offered to go to a beach resort in Mombasa, but as we travelled in September we were all beached out and preferred to give this a miss. Nairobi, however, is chaotic and not a city you can casually walk around. If you want to relax, you need a good hotel which you are happy to stay in for most of the time. We did venture out to a very good restaurant called Inti (Perivian / Asian) and also visited the Utamaduni Crafts Village. Nairobi of course has its own game park and also Elephant and Giraffe sanctuaries, but after a weeks safari we were ready to give those a miss.
In summary, it was a great holiday and I would happily recommend Splendid Vacations to everyone.
IT
Email Stefanie & Patrick | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was plannend perfectly.
We saw lots of different animals, the tour guide called Augustine was very friendly and spottet all different kind of animals before we did. The hotels were on a high standard and made us feel very comfortable.
Email Jessica | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mwololo is a fantastic guide, driver and educator.
We started our safari in Masai Mara National Park. We stayed at the Zebra Valley Camp and it was gorgeous! We did an early evening safari and Mwololo was able to find lions, giraffes, elephants, zebra and various antelope on our FIRST DAY!!
We opted to take the hot air balloon ride the next morning and it was stunning! We got to see a family of hippos hanging out in what was left of the river. After a champagne breakfast in the bush, we went for another safari sighting more lions, wart hogs, giraffes, baby elephants and wildebeest! The rest of our trip was wonderful as well. Mwololo thought ahead to get us a morning boat ride instead of an afternoon ride at Lake Naivasha due to a chance of rain. It was excellent especially because we were able to take a nap in our gorgeous suite at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort on the second floor with a balcony that opened onto their park with animals walking around at the edge of the lake! Yes, I was playing the soundtrack to Out of Africa that I had on my phone!! What an absolute treat. Amboseli National Park was our last stop. We stayed at Kibo Safari Camp and you should too! It's peaceful and gorgeous. Did you know that Amboseli in Masai means dust? Prepare yourself because it will be dusty that's just the geology of the area. We saw tons of animals and birds and the landscape is breathtaking. My advice here among all the parks we have visited, we/I opted NOT to buy a camera with a long lens and learn how to use it. I could kick myself! Masai Mara is the only park where Mwololo was able to get off road to get us relatively close to the animals. The other 3 parks we visited, the guides have to stay on the road so a long lense would be REALLY nice. We had a couple of problems creep up more at the very beginning of our trip ands our tour coordinator, Maryann Lucky sorted everything out seamlessly. She really is a wonderful, caring and empathetic travel agent. My husband and I both feel as though we have gotten our money's worth during this trip and sometimes we thought we got more but never less. If this was my only shot at seeing a part of Africa it was worth every penny but I sincerely hope we can return.
Jessica and Robert
