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Apodiformes Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Tourism Regulatory Authority, AFRICA TOURISM ASSOCIATION & FRIENDS OF NAIROBI NATIONAL WILDILIFE CONSERVATION
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $250 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
NL
Email Vimal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and helpful, Tanzanian side not very good!
We had a 11 days private Kenya and Tanzania safari. Silas is very professional and helpful. He was in his car in the carpark when we arrived. The flight arrival was delayed by one hour but after contacting him on the phone he promptly arrived to get us to our hotel.
The Kenyan part of our safari was excellent. The driver/guide Samuel is a very knowledgeble and a nice guy. But the disaster started the moment we crossed over to the Tanzanian side. We were made to pay $50 each to get the yellow fever certificates at the border. The person just took cash in Euros and filled in the yellow booklet. No vaccination was given. Upon asking for a receipt they gave some vague reasons saying that the internet was not working and that we shall get it by email, which, of course never happened. A Tanzanian driver received us and we started our Tanzanian journey to the Serengeti park. Within about one hour the left rear wheel of the rickety Toyota Land Cruiser just came off while we were driving! Luckily no one was hurt. We were in the middle of nowhere on a village road. The driver managed to change the wheel with the help of few villagers and we resumed our journey. After every 15 minutes of driving the driver had to tighten the screws of the wheel. This happened a few time. Then suddenly that newly changed wheel had a flat tyre! The driver just could not change it. He had to arrange an alternative private transport for us from the nearby village, who was kind enought to take us till the Serengeti gate. In the process we lost many hours. Ultimately we could reach our camp site after 8PM, eight hours after the border crossing!
The new Tanzanian driver gave a very unprofessional and unfriendly impression. The game drives in Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater were excellent. On our fourth night in Tanzania we were dumped in an extremely low level hotel near Lake Manyara. A very depressive place indeed. Certainly the lowest level of acommodation we had during our entire trip. The driver did not know that we needed to make a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. There was no time for that any more. The next day we had to leave for Tangerine National park. The only solace on the Tanzanian side was that the national park game drives were really worth the trouble.
We had a sigh of relief after crossing over to Kenya without much trouble. The last two days in Kenya were very good with game drives in Amboseli, and transfer to Nairobi for our return flight home.
I requested Silas to reconsider his contract with his Tanzanian partner "Seven Wonders Safaris" in Arusha, Tanzania, which prompted him to end his contract with them. Thank God.
I hope this small review is helpful.
AE
Email Soumajit Das | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari Operator
Best Safari experience ever!!
We booked a 5-day, 4 nights (2 nights in Masai Mara & 2 nights in Amboselly) Safari tour for through Apodiformes Adventure and had the best safari experience ever. Special thanks to Mr. Silas for making our arrangement in well advance and our tour guide/driver Mr. Micheal. We couldn’t have had a better guide than Micheal. He was very polite, patient and very knowledgeable about wildlife and the Kenyan/Masai culture. Thanks to his expertise we saw the big 5 within the first 4 days, plus two cheetahs and baby lions and baby elephants. All of them were very close as he knows how to drive the land cruiser in best way. We felt really safe and trusted. We will recommend Apodiformes Adventures 100% for all my friends in coming days. Thank you Mr. Silas.
US
Email Myra | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11 Day Magical Kenya
We spent 11 days traveling to Kenya’s national parks. While planning our trip, Silas was great at communication. He responded to WhatsApp messages within a few minutes. Our driver and guide was Dickson. First day was in Samburu national park at the wonderful Samburu Sopa lodge. The place was beautiful. We saw a lioness stalking giraffes and a mama cheetah with 4 babies. Dickson was a great driver and had lots of patience. He was good at spotting animals even at a distance. We went to Lake Naivasha and Hells Gate. We went on a beautiful hike in Hells Gate and learned a lot about Masai culture from the local guide. Then on to Masai Mara. Masai Mara was unforgettable - saw so many animals. Saw one female leopard up close and then one male leopard stalking and hunting a topi. Dickson drove slowly and carefully and we were able to spot many animals. He also got tips from other drivers where the animals were. We also saw a male and female lion on honeymoon and mating. The vast expanse of plains was mind blowing. Next place was Lake Nakuru - many white rhinos and flamingos. Then Amboseli - saw families of elephants feeding and bathing. Next was Tsavo - maneaters lodge next to the river was amazing. There was an elephant walking through the lodge grounds and we heard him eating near our tent in the night. In Tsavo we watched families of elephants feeding and drinking water. Everything ran smoothly. The hotels and lodges were comfortable with delicious food, especially the Sopa lodges and Lake Nakuru Lodge. All was well organized. It was an amazing and unforgettable trip. Felt truly like we had come back home - there is an indescribable energy in the air. Kenya is working hard to preserve these wild places and really appreciate the people for taking care of the places. We are already planning to come back to Kenya with our two kids. Thank you for a wonderful experience!!
US
Email Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Almost a great safari
Let me start with the good as most of what we bargained for we did receive.
Silas was quick to respond to requests for information. He was waiting for us personally when we arrived at the airport in Nairobi. We did get to the parks that we requested. We had no changes in price or what was delivered. Our guide, Isaiah, was a good driver and answered most questions that we had with a Hakuna Matata "no problem" attitude.
Things that could have gone better? We were to meet Isaiah at the hotel where we stayed overnight so that we could be an early start to go to Samburu Reserve. We went to the reception area at 5:45 for a 6:00 start. At 6:00 I walked out into the parking lot to see if someone was waiting for us and saw no-one. At 6:20 I spoke with the receptionist at the hotel and mentioned the name Apodiformes and she said she had seen the van further out in the dark parking lot. Eventually we learned that we needed to go to the parking lot to find our van rather than be met inside our lodge at each park.
Not having Kenyan shillings with me I asked if we could stop at an automatic teller on our way to the first lodge. No problem. It was six days and multiple request for tipping money and small cash to buy souvenirs before we finally made that stop.
I made a specific request for a driver experienced in photography and birds, but found Isaiah was familiar, but not proficient in either. In spite of repeated questions about locations, animals, and history we only go brief answers to our requests, and occasionally inaccurate. In the case of the Ernest Hemingway bar at the Amboseli Sopa he replied that here was nothing special about it. It was just the second bar at the lodge and it was up on a rock. A quick Google about the bar reveals that it was actually a home built by the author and the stories told by the bartender about his uncle and the writer are worth stopping for a drink all by themselves.
We scheduled two nights at both Masai Mara and Tsavo East in order to make more that one game drive. At each we only went out one time in spite of the extra time allotted.
A little extra time in planning could have put us either in a lodge that made those game drives possible, or a stop at a smaller place of interest overnight could have shorted our multiple 7-9 hour drives between lodges.
The price was fair. We saw what we had scheduled. I got some wonderful pictures. It could have been planned better and a bit more interest in our safari could have taken this from a "B-" to an "A'" without a major investment in time or money.
SG
Email Lily | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Greatest wildlife experience
Tks Silas
We had the greatest wildlife experience for our trip here in Kenya at the safaris. We were so thrilled to see the animals in its natural habitat. We’re lucky to witness the leopard and it’s kill up on the tree. We also saw the zebras leading a long trail of wildebeest for its migration. Just that we didn’t witness the crossing of the river but that didn’t spoil our excitement. Tks for arranging such an amazing holiday for us and the resorts we stayed at the safaris were great too.
US
Email Tyler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Silas was always very quick to respond and helped customize our trip to get all we wanted!
Overall we certainly enjoyed our trip throughout Kenya and Tanzania with Apodiformes Adventures. Silas was always very responsive to our questions while leading up to the trip, and helped us customize the tour so that we were able to get the itinerary we were hoping for. We did an 11 day Safari starting in Nairobi, heading to Lake Nakuru and then down to Masai Mara. We then crossed the border over into Serengeti National Park, and to Ngorongoro Crater after that. From there we visited Tarangerie NP and finished back in Kenya at Amboseli NP before flying back out of Nairobi. We felt like this was a good way of seeing as much as possible within 11 days, but probably underestimated just how much driving on dirt roads would be involved. Be prepared for some long drives if you are trying to fit in the Kenya and Tanzania parks, the drives from Masai to Serengeti and Serengeti to Ngorongoro were the toughest due to poor road conditions. Still worth it overall though! Kevin was our guide while in Kenya, and he did a great job. His motto was “If you’re happy, I’m happy,” and he definitely strived to make sure we saw all the animals we wanted to. Benjamin was our guide in Tanzania, and he was an excellent guide as well. We appreciated how he always answered our questions with additional info and it was clear he was passionate about showing us a good time while on Safari with him. Apodiformes is not as big of company as others in Kenya/Tanzania and it maybe felt like the van and 4x4 we drove in were not as new/nice as others we saw, but we were able to see more while staying within our price range by booking with them, and overall would recommend them if you’re looking for a tour company for your trip!
CN
Email Rock Yi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Wonderful Tour Experience in Kenya
Overall it was a very pleasant trip with Apodiformes Adventures in Kenya. They provided a professional service to me and the tour guide Leroy and Edward were experienced and super funny, I enjoyed and joked with them all day on my travels. They also consider me one of the most interesting Chinese tourists they have ever met.
East Africa is a magical place, I would definitely miss the people and scenery that happened here every minute.
ES
Email Micaela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip of our lives
Best experience ever!!
We booked a 6-day Safari tour through Apodiformes Adventure and had the best experience thanks to our guide/driver Sebastian. We couldn’t have had a better guide: he was kind, patient and very knowledgeable about wildlife and the Kenyan/Masai culture. Thanks to his expertise we saw the big 5 within the first 3 days, plus two cheetahs and baby lions and baby elephants. All of them were very close as he knows how to drive his van the best. We felt really safe with him and trusted him immediately. We already miss Sebastian and were very sad to end this magnificent trip.
MX
Email Ennio Gonzalez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best vacations of my life.
The company's staff gives you an excellent experience, you feel safe, they are always aware of what you need.
The tour in general is fantastic, at an affordable price and with very good hotels, with varied and appetizing food. we were able to see all the animals that we were told at a very short distance, some of them in front of the jeep. The guide has a lot of knowledge about the animals as well as the parks we visit. All the time we were very excited and expectant of what we would see in the following moments.
Thank you very much for an unforgettable vacation.
HU
Email Gyula and Maria | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A reliable, fair, honest travel agency that delivers what it promises.
This was our first African safari and the company Apodiformes Adventures made our trip unforgettable. We chose an 11-day safari and 3 days of rest at the end of the trip on the ocean coast, Diani beach. Silas, the owner, responded to our letter immediately and any questions we had, he always wrote within minutes. We discussed the route, the accommodations, the food and Silas said a very reasonable price for it all. Much better than any domestic Hungarian travel agency. 40% had to be paid as an advance. The payment option on the website worked well, there was nothing wrong with the transfer. Visa, vaccinations, preparations, and then it was time to leave. Everything worked perfectly. Silas waited for us at the airport and took us to our accommodation, which was great after the tiring flight. The next day we met our driver, Samuel, who at first sight was a very nice person. He was our driver, guide and friend for 11 days. He is a very conscientious, caring and friendly person, with whom we felt safe the whole time. We visited 6 national parks and saw a lot of things. Samuel arranged everything, we really didn't have to deal with anything. Diani beach can only be spoken of in superlatives. All accommodation was excellent with buffet meals three times a day. The agreed transfers were accurate to the minute. We kept in touch with Silas on WhatsApp. In a word, I recommend the Apodiformes travel agency to everyone and I would also like to express my thanks to Silas and our driver Samuel.