THE A TEAM
Axis Africa Expedition & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $280 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AE
Email Shruthi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mara-Naivasha-Nakuru- Amboseli 6 day trip in August 2018
We came across Axis Africa through Safaribookings.com while browsing through different tour operators and went with them based on the quality of interactions we had with Lennox. This was our first trip to Africa and wildlife viewing was the main purpose and view them we did and how!
Lennox was able to tend to all our queries before the trip and organised our pick up/drop off without any hassles and coordinated with us wherever needed. He was prompt in all his interactions.
We had asked for Kikitu or Issac as our guides since they both had great reviews from visitors who wrote here. Lennox mentioned that he will try to arrange for them or even otherwise, assign us a good one as they are all experienced. Although we didn't get our requested guides, we were very happy with James, the gentleman who was assigned to our group of 8.
We had James as our driver and guide for all the 6 days. He was cheerful, professional, knowledgeable, polite, patient and gracious. We had a great time with him and were so fortunate to have sighted all the Big 5 on Day 2 of our Safari in Masai Mara. He informed us about the species, their gestation period, the number of young ones born with each gestation, hunting skills, any distinctive identification for that particular mammal etc.
Our guide gets a 5-star rating for his demeanour and efforts.
All our accommodations were catered to according to what was described in the itinerary. Lenchada camp was a rustic and comfortable stay. We had asked for a vegetarian diet for our entire trip and we always had vegetarian options to meet our requirements. Although I would suggest that they mark all the vegetarian dishes with an identifying label so there is no miscommunication.
The crescent Island boat ride via Naivasha gave us an opportunity to view some beautiful birds. The guide who took us out on boating was not very forthcoming with information about the birds and we had to keep asking him questions for him to engage with us or be audible. He could have generated far more interest from us for the birding in the time frame available but perhaps his approach was too laid back for our needs/expectation.
The accommodation in Nakuru was a fairly decent one as well. We were only there for 1 night and the next day saw some beautiful white rhinos, flamingoes, bison and birds at the Nakuru national park.
Our trip to Amboseli was quite long due to narrow roads which are shared with heavy-duty vehicles and the traffic is unpredictable. We could not do the safari on the evening of reaching Amboseli as we reached quite late. So it was the Nakuru NP morning safari and the rest of the day was occupied with travel.
We were supposed to stay at Kimana budget camp as per our itinerary in Amboseli. Although we had checked their website to look at their facilities, we saw their TripAdvisor reviews only when we were en route to Amboseli. We were quite trepid about the reviews and spoke to Lennox and mentioned that we would like him to consider a decent budget accommodation in case this one turns out to be unappealing. We were happy to go with budget camps as long as they are hygienic/clean and have functioning basic utilities. The reviews we read sort of told us that this may be difficult to find at Kimana.
We reached the accommodation and the only room available had a broken toilet seat and a flush that was hard to use, shower which was leaking water which could be heard throughout the room and the room was quite rundown. We had to express our dissatisfaction that there was no due diligence done with regards to accommodation in Amboseli and we were informed by Lennox that the other options at the last minute would cost us extra as Kimana camp will not refund (the amount quoted for a room is ridiculous considering how rundown the place is) Axis Safaris even if we don't stay and even when they can't fix any of the obvious issues with the accommodation. We ended up pitching half of the amount for our new accommodation in AA lodges just so we could get a good nights rest and not let Axis/Lennox bear all the losses even though technically they should have done their diligence on the upkeep of Kimana or found a way to mitigate their losses based on the business relationship they share with the Hotels/camps.
This was the only hiccup we faced during our whole trip. We were able to sort it out but they would have earned a 5-star rating if not for this incident.
I would suggest that Axis personally visit each of the hotels/camps/rooms and see what is on offer and then properly communicate the same with their guests. The onus is not on the guest to get information about the type/upkeep of the accommodation. Websites always showcase glossy pictures but on-ground realities might vary to a great extent and tour operators should take cognisance of that. That is what we rely on the tour operator for in a foreign country. The guests won't know exactly which hotel they will be visiting as they mention the name of a particular hotel and mention 'or similar properties' in the itinerary in most cases.
I, however, do appreciate that Lennox sorted out an accommodation in the end and the fag end of the trip went smoothly in the company of huge elephant groups and a gorgeous sunrise at Amboseli. Mount Kilimanjaro refused to appear during our stay there but hey, I know we will be visiting Kenya and Africa again and am sure Axis would find a way to put together another fabulous trip for us.
EE
Email Vardo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari with the best driver!
I was looking safaris for a reasonable price and found Axis Africa. Because they're reviews were so good, we decided to book a safari thru them also. We had a 3-day Joining safari to Masai Mara. Solomon, our driver/guide was the best there can be, being everywhere something happened and did all he could to give as the best experience. Lennox always replies quickly to questions and all problems are being solved. We stayed in Lenchada Camp, this was also a superb experience for that kind of money. So everything was absolutely awesome. We'd like to thank Solomon again for such a great experience and help also, 'cause when coming back from Safari we had a problem with our next booking (apartement) and Solomon helped us out. Thank You again!
Also the people we joined Safari with were great, so we had a very good time!
YE
Email Mohammed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Good & Reasonably Priced
I found Axis Africa Safaris while searching online for a reliable tour operator that provides reasonably priced safari tours. Through the first communications with them, I felt comfortable and excited to book a tour through them. Lennox is very responsive and will answer all of your questions regarding the tour. I booked a 4 day safari in Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. Everything was well organized as promised, and I had the best time during this safari. Our driver Alex was very nice and was doing his best so that we can spot as many animals as possible. He taught some Swahili on the road. The accommodation in both Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru was very decent for this price. If I have anything to say about improving their services, I can suggest enhancing the condition of the buses especially since the road to Masai Mara is very rough. All in all, Thanks to Axis Africa, I had an amazing time in Kenya. If I go back to Kenya, I will definitely go on other safaris with them.
FI
Email Maiju | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Couldn’t be more satisfied to our trip in Masai Mara with Axis Africa Safaris. First of all, thank’s to Lennox who was really patient with all my questions and replied to my emails. Biggest thanks to our driver Richard, who was best of the best! We were on 3 days trip in Masai Mara and he made sure we were able to see as many animals example lions, cheetah, zebras, elephants etc. He took us to many places, and always found the best spot to see the animals very close. We were even able to see the migration over the border between Kenya and Tanzania. This trip was much more than I expected! The best value for your money.
SE
Email Sebastian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great driver and game drives. Not that great planning.
We took the six day safari with Masai Mara-Naruk-Amboseli. We ordered our safari via Axis, in our car we were 7 people. We were the only ones from Axis. So it’s hard to rate Axis on our trip.
We suffered a bit due to this since all travel groups had different itinerary and accommodations. We spent hours waiting on people and driving to different lodges/tent camps. This made that our tour didn’t followed our itinerary and we had to argue to get what we paid for.
You should be aware of this or demand to be in a car with a group with 100% same itinerary/accommodation if you plan to order this trip.
With that said we had a great safari. We saw the big five on our first full day game drive. Richard, our driver should have the Nobel peace prize for handeling one of our co-travelers that was very demanding. He handled our van with great skills!
Richard and animal-viewing was five stars, the planning with different itineraries in one car was one star!
AE
Email Jo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour guide and very nice accommodation
I am very happy with the tour with Masai Mara. We had 7 people in our tour group and our tour guide was Kikitu Douglas. He is an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable, always a big smile on his face. The booking communication with Lennox was excellent as well. Lennox was very responsive. Kikitu picked me up at my hotel on time. The whole tour was as expected. We saw 4 out of the big 5 animals, among many others. The camp was also very nice. I highly recommend this company for the tour.
amazing safaris with Axis
They offer amazing service. Saw most of the big five animals. The accommodations are great as well. 10/10 would recommand.
Email R-M | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent for the most part.
Generally, a really positive and fulfilling experience. Our driver was incredibly informative and knowledgable, and managed to get us sightings of all members of four of the 'big five' in the Masai Mara plus the fifth at Lake Nakuru, as well as so much more. Some of the stuff we saw went beyond my wildest expectations. The accommodation and food was also great (excellent vegetarian options all the way - thank you so much!). Only downside was that our driver was perhaps *too* good at his job - he was the only one during the journeys to and from the destinations, as well as during the safaris themselves, who *didn't* seem to get stuck in the mud. He expertly navigated his way through all sorts of predicaments, but as a result he'd often be called in to assist others, which ended up cutting in to our safari drives. We spent about half an hour of our first evening's hour-long drive assisting others. On our return to Nairobi, we were left at a roadside restaurant for another hour while he had to go on another rescue mission - meaning that we didn't get back to the city until close to 7pm (when our eta was around 3pm). We also sacrificed our morning safari on our third day at the Masai Mara on the understanding that we'd have a longer full-day drive on our second day, but we ended up being the last to leave and the first to return to camp (and we'd ended up conducting another lengthy rescue mission that day as well). Like I say, this wasn't hugely problematic, as when we *were* driving he managed to seek out and find the most amazing experiences for us, and he was incredibly intelligent and insightful to talk to. But he was perhaps too nice for his own good, and would've preferred more time with the animals and a more punctual return to Nairobi. Were it not for those minor gripes, this would definitely have been a 5* experience. I'd nevertheless happily recommend Axis (and our driver) to anybody, and would sign up for another tour with them without hesitation.
US
Email Dorothy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a life time grand experience
Great service all around from emailing Lennox to our Safari driver Richard. Richard was an amazing guide. He found an amazing amount of wildlife and was very knowledgeable about them as well. He stopped and stayed as long as the group requested for photos. He got us amazingly close to all. We saw other safari vans where the people looked like they had paid a lot more and we were all viewing the same animals often times we were even closer. The Lenchada Camp was super clean and friendly. Lots of places to charge cell phones. Also convenient location within walking distance to the Masai Village. Actually preferred the camp to the Lanet Matfam Resort. Food was plentiful and beer was available for purchase. Richard drove safely through some tough terrain in the parks and on the main roads. I believe the good time was had by all. Wished we had booked a longer tour.
NL
Email Lammert van der Wal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience!
We had the best time. The guide Kikitu was the best we could have. So energetic and funny. He truly made it his mission to let us have a good time and with great succes. Everything was perfectly organised. We saw amazing wildlife(including the full big 5). And all of this for a very cheap price.