Great team work, end result is great success
African Sunset Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Michael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11-Night Safari Through Kenya and Tanzania - The Dream Trip!
My wife and I traveled to Africa in September, 2020 and was hands down our favorite trip to date. We worked with Dexter in planning the trip and they were very accommodating to the changes we wanted to make. It was definitely a customizable safari as we made changes a few weeks before due to the COVID travel restrictions. Thanks for all the help, Dexter! When flying into Kenya, we had to have our negative COVID test, our e-visa, and we had to submit an application through a website link at the airport to get a QR code for the health authorities in Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi, we met Haron, our Kenyan guide, and from there traveled to our first stop, Amboseli. If you stay at Ol Tukai Lodge, be cautious of the baboons and monkeys. They roam the grounds and will try to take your things if you have anything hanging out of bags or anything shiny. We had a run in with a baboons that was scary in the moment, but laughable later. Just a word of precaution :) The lodge was amazing other than that run-in. That was the only incident the entire trip. Just run at the baboon or throw a rock if they start to approach you.
The accommodations that African Sunset Safaris selected for us were very nice. Great, clean, comfortable rooms, food selections were good (safe for American stomachs), and professional staff. Would highly recommend all of the lodges we stayed at. Wearing face masks was required at some of the lodges while walking around the lobby's and into dining areas, so they were taking the necessary precautions to keep guests safe. We were not required to wear a mask in the Land Cruise while on game drives or when traveling which was comfortable.
The safari game drives were incredible! Water was provided to us in our game vehicle over the duration of our trip. Haron was very knowledgeable of the animals in the parks, and we always felt safe in the vehicle and enjoyed learning about Haron and his country. The Mara region was our favorite. We did the Hot Air Balloon ride over the Mara at Sunrise and it was amazing. One of the best memories we've had on a trip. We did a boat ride at Lake Naivasha and saw the Hippos and a really cool eagle fly-by demonstration. In Nakuru, definitely do the additional game drive to see the Rhinos. This was the only park on our trip that had Rhinos. We saw a total of 7 and a baby. We also got to see the great migration crossing at the BBC crossing point in the Mara Triangle, so Cool!! Thousands of Wildebeest and Zebra crossing the River Mara.
After the Mara, we transitioned into Tanzania, where we meet our Tanzanian guide, Gideon. At the border we had to show negative COVID tests (didn't seem to care about the date), yellow fever cards (We didn't have them so we purchased them there - $30 each), and our Tanzanian e-Visa). After the boarder, Gideon was with us through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and to the aipoirt drop-off in Mt. Kili. Gideon's knowledge of the animals, and especially birds, was super cool to hear about. He got us in front of some really cool animal experiences with Leopard, Lion, and elephants - up close! I mean almost touching the Land Cruiser close! We loved this trip and are so grateful to Haron and Gideon for guiding us through the parks and all of their help and planning for the trip! We have told all of our family and friends that this is a must do trip and they need to book with African Sunset Safaris! I will post this review to trip advisor and have pictures as well.
Below I'll list the animals we saw and the lodges we stayed in:
Lodges (recommend them all!): Ol Tukai Lodge (Amboseli), Sawela Serena Lodge (Lake Naivasha), Lake Elementaita Tented Camp (Nakuru), Zebra Plains Tented Camp (Mara), Mara Serena Lodge (Mara Triangle), Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (Serengeti), Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (Ngorongoro Crater), Sangaiwe Tented Lodge (Tarangire)
Animals Seen: Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Cheetah, Rhino, Hippo, Crocodile, Wildebeest, Zebra, Antelope, Hyena, Jackal, Many Birds, Cape Buffalo, Monkeys, Baboons, Eland, Giraffe, and probably others I can't remember! So many animals over the course of our game drives.
BG
Email Kalin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 7 days Tanzania safari despite these extraordinary times
First of all it was an amazing journey. If I have to describe with only one word the nature and wildlife оf Tanzania, it is magical. To the people of Tanzania a big reverence. This was my first safari and visit to Africa and it has been mind blowing. Every game drive is so different than the others. Lions, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, elephants, you will see them all and not only once. And yes they are just a few meters away. Due to Covid-19 pandemic I had to change flights believe it or not 10 times including refunds, vouchers and etc. I won’t lie I didn’t believe that this journey will happen till I get to the plane. But like often happens in life every effort worth it. A big thanks to African Sunset Safari and Haron for the perfect organization, despite these extraordinary times. We have to rearrange the trip a few times because of the flights changes. No problem at all. Very professional and no need of long explanations. Very good accomodation choice by Haron. Last but not least, our guide Gideon is the best guide in Tanzania. Thank you for everything Gideon, you are great. Don’t postpone your safari, this is the best time to travel as there are no tourists at all and the savannah is only for you. Well almost, and the animals of course. We have been driving for hours and rarely see other jeeps around. Traveling now is difficult, but not impossible, which makes it even sweater. And this is an irreplaceable support for the local people, who don’t loose hope that the next month will be better and tourists will come back. Again a big thanks to African Sunset Safaris and Haron.
Email Bancy Njuguna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Timely and patient all through the safari. Vast knowledge of the park and animals.
The tour met my expectations and the service was great.
I highly recommend.
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Email Pamela M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful birthday present safari!
There were some communication glitches, but we worked everything out. Our guide on safari was Gideon and he was fantastic. He really took care of everything and gave us a great experience. He was very informative about the wildlife, terrain, and the Maasai culture. I would definitely use Gideon again. This was a wonderful experience of a lifetime!
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Email Jay | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our 15-day Kenya/Tanzania experience was thrilling and exceeded our expectations.
I read through a few guidebooks and screened several operators listed on safaribookings.com before selecting African Sunset Safaris, owned and operated by Haron Gashao. Their "15-day Best Program for Photography" Itinerary (Amboseli, Sweetwaters/Ol Pejeta, Samburu, Nakuru, Naivasha, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire) was near-perfect for what we wanted. Haron is an excellent, personable (even droll at times), professional and knowledgeable guide, familiar with the animals and their habits and therefore an excellent spotter. He can and does go off-road where permitted -- all the better to spot such amazing sights as 3 roving rhinos, a mother cheetah with 4 playful cubs, a pair of mating ostriches, and yet another cheetah in tall Mara grasses lunching on a gazelle. Along the way, you will view every animal possible -- the "Big 5" almost certainly. We saw 4 different leopards along the way, and they can be very elusive. Parades of elephants and giraffes, every antelope-like creature from the tiny dikdiks to the enormous elands. Sure, many lions and hippos. A stampede of thousands of wildebeests. A zillion zebras. Crested cranes and many many other birds. Hyenas, wild dog, jackal, pointy-eared African foxes, mongoose...we even spotted a rarely seen small cat, the serval. Haron is also a very skillful driver of his large Land Cruiser -- important for the often very bumpy and sometimes flooded dirt roads that you will inevitably encounter. We stayed in wonderful lodges with outstanding food, accommodations, and views (e.g. Serena and Sarova properties) and also in a few very comfortable if only slightly spartan tented camps. Haron was good about communicating and answering questions up-front, and adjusted and added to our trip plans per our interests and requests. He seems to have good relationships with the lodges and camps that enable him to get very good value . . . much better pricing than booking through a US company (that would only subcontract with an African operator anyway) and even better than many other African operators that I looked into. Be on notice that Kenyan and Tanzanian guides, per local rules, can only work in their own countries... so that you will have a different guide for part of a 2-country safari. In our case, Haron had promised the highly-praised Gideon for our Tanzania portion, but his Land Cruiser broke down and couldn't be repaired in time. The replacement was a capable and personable young guide, Erick, but the vehicle was somewhat older and smaller. Hey, stuff happens. It also rained a lot the week before we arrived (a month before the annual rainy season). That caused some challenges with huge ponding puddles and mud, and some concern about possible itinerary adjustments, but it all worked out. We had a wonderful and amazing experience. Keep your sense of adventure and sense of humor, and go with the flow . . . with African Sunset.
Email Josephine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Haron was very patient and professional and displayed vast knowledge of the area.
The service was above and beyond our expectations and we couldn't be happier.
The tour was exceptional. The vehicle was spacious and water was provided. They thought of everything
CL
Wonderful experience in Kenya and Tanzania. We recommend this company 100%
With 3 friends we hired 10 days of safari with this company and from the first minute they took care of us. In Kenya we pass through the Nakuru National Park and Masai Mara Reserve, then cross to Tanzania through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire National Park. The experience was magnificent. Haron, our tour operator took care of every detail and was flexible to our needs. The accommodations in each park were magical, each with its seal. We had two guides - drivers (one in Kenya – Patrick, and one in Tanzania - Gideon), who showed all their experience and willingness with the group. We were lucky to witness the migration of zebras and wildebeest from Serengeti to Masai Mara! ... simply wonderful. African Sunset Safari exceeded all our expectations. We highly recommend this company. In addition, it is a good way to favor local entrepreneurship because this company is from Nairobi.
Con 3 amigos contratamos 10 días de safari con esta compañía y desde el primer minuto se preocuparon de nosotros. En Kenia pasamos por el Parque Nacional Nakuru y Reserva Masai Mara, luego cruzamos a Tanzania pasando por el Parque Nacional Serengeti, Ngorongoro y Tarangire. La experiencia fue magnífica. Haron, nuestro operador turístico se preocupó de cada detalle y fue flexible ante nuestras necesidades. Los alojamientos en cada parque fueron mágicos, cada cual con su sello. Tuvimos dos guias – conductores (uno en Kenia – Patrick, y otro en Tanzania - Gideon), quienes mostraron toda su experiencia y disposición con el grupo. Cada cual se esmeró para cumplir con nuestras expectativas. Tuvimos la suerte de presenciar la migración de cebras y ñus desde Serengeti a Masai Mara!... sencillamente maravilloso. African Sunset Safari superó todas nuestras expectativas. Recomendamos esta empresa totalmente. Además, es una buena forma de favorecer el emprendimiento local ya que esta empresa es de Nairobi.
Exceeded our Expectations! Fantastic Tour of Kenya/Tanzania
I highly recommend African Sunset Safaris, a fabulous tour outfit that far exceeded our expectations. Owner & Manager Haron was excellent with communications and very helpful during the tour. He customized for us a 13 day safari in Kenya/Tanzania during the Great Migration. The lodging was tremendous, and our guides -- Julius and Lazaro -- were incredibly experienced, professional, and knowledgeable. We so enjoyed our conversations with them over (exceptional) meals about life in East Africa and the region's many natural splendors. We saw the Big 5. We saw gorgeous birds, baobob trees in Tarangire, stunning sunsets, watering holes of crocodiles and hippos, and huge herds of elephants. Julius and Lazaro were respectful of the wildlife, mostly avoiding the big scrums of tour vehicles while still getting us up close and personal with the animals -- resulting in incredible photographs. If you want to see lions stalking their prey on the foothills of Kilamanjaro, rare rhinos in Nakuru, leopards, cheetahs, vibrant flocks of flamingos, and humongous herds of wildebeest, go with African Sunset Safaris!
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Email Janet Bartol | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely wonderful to work with
My son and I recently enjoyed a 2-week safari through African Sunset Safaris. We had an absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. Haron was extremely responsive to all of my emails and the multitude of questions I peppered him with. He made sure that everything was just right for us and even went out of his way to accommodate our every wish. The animal sightings in both countries were wonderful. We had Gidion in Tanzania and he was such a fun guide to have. I would definitely travel with African Sunset safaris again.
SG
Email Eric Wang | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A good safari experience with African Sunset Safaris
A safe trip with good accommodations, good food and experienced drivers who managed to take us to see the big 5.
