35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Easy to work with, good at logistics, and good local knowledge.
This was my first trip to East Africa, and Dav made it very easy. Communication was prompt and clear while booming my tour, and they were able to tailor a package to my interests. My guide Isaac was prompt and courteous at every step, did a great job navigating some crazy roads, and helped me find great local restaurants for authentic African food—places that you wouldn’t be able to pick out on Yelp or Google. He also seemed to know everyone we bumped into in Rwanda and Uganda, and which made it easy to deal with customs when we had to cross the border or find an ATM.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
We had an amazing and unforgettable safari experience in the Masai Mara, made even better by our knowledgeable and friendly guide, Ben.
Thanks to his expertise and keen eye, we saw all of the Big Five and learned fascinating insights about the wildlife and the area.
Ben looked after us wonderfully, and we highly recommend him to anyone planning a Masai Mara safari!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Morningstar Tours was amazing.
It took us about a year to plan our safari vacation. The most difficult part was selecting a tour operator from the hundreds available. Ultimately we chose Morningstar Tours as it had a Kenya/Tanzania safari that was very appealing (length of time, places we wanted to visit and the things we wanted to do).
1. We were very fortunate to have Alice Moraa as our agent/co-ordinator. She readily answered all of our questions, addressed our concerns, provided pertinent information with regard to visas, what to pack etc., provided us with a detailed itinerary so we knew where we would be and what we would be doing and a timeline, made suggestions and most importantly, we were able to communicate with her 24/7 and her response time was very quick. As we arrived a few days prior to the start of our safari, Alice recommended visiting the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (elephant orphanage), The Giraffe Centre and dining at The Carnivore Restaurant. She made all the arrangements and we enjoyed that day immensely. 2. It is extremely important to have a good driver/guide. In Kenya, we had Augustine. He was so friendly, helpful and accommodating and had a good sense of humour. His English was good and we learned SO much from him about the animals, terrain, history and culture. His driving skills were very impressive! Augustine just seemed to sense where the animals would be and without binoculars, he could spot a camouflaged lion or cheetah that was over 100 metres away. His eyesight is incredible! As we drove by The Great Rift Valley on narrow 2 lane highway, we found ourselves stuck in a massive traffic jam with dozens of transport trucks backed up for kilometres. I thought we’d be stuck there for hours. Somehow, with inches to spare on either side of our jeep, Augustine managed to maneuver around vehicles and we were able to take a side dirt road through a tiny village. A few other jeeps followed. Anyway, the inhabitants were displeased with the amount of dirt stirred up and blocked the road with boulders. Augustine, being very diplomatic, negotiated a payment agreement with them and they removed the blockade and let us pass. That was an interesting situation. When we were flying back to Nairobi from Amboseli, our flight departure time was changed at the last minute and Augustine had barely an hour to get us to the airport from our camp. The drive was at least an hour away on very bumpy dirt roads but once again, Augustine came through and got us to the airport in 40 minutes! Request Augustine as your driver in Kenya. 3. in Tanzania we had Tony who was also a very good guide/driver. 4. Accommodations: we stayed at the Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi for 3 nights prior to our safari and 1 night after our safari ended. We liked the fact that the hotel was only 10 minutes from the airport. We enjoyed their buffet restaurant, and the rooms were nice. We were very pleased with our “glamping” accommodations . We stayed at Lake Nakuru Lodge, Pride Inn Mara Camp, Untamed Migration Camp, Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp and Kibo Safari Camp. Each camp was unique, clean and well-equipped and the staff was warm, welcoming and helpful. The food and box lunches were good. I loved how each camp’s staff was so proud of their camp and were sincerely honoured that we had chosen to stay at their camp. 4. We found the jeeps to be very comfortable (we were just 2 couples and the driver/guide). We never realized how rough and bumpy the roads were and how dusty it could be. It was fun, like being on a ride. The jeeps take an incredible amount of abuse but are checked after each safari. That being said, we did experience some issues. On one occasion, Ephraim (Tanzania) experienced difficulty starting the jeep. We contacted Alice and voiced our concerns as we didn’t want to get stranded somewhere. She immediately made arrangements for us to have a new driver/guide and jeep. On another occasion, as we were witnessing the wildebeest migration across the Mara River), we got a flat tire. Within minutes, several other guide/drivers stopped to offer assistance. It was truly heart-warming to see how the guides have this culture of helping each other. Also, one day Augustine had to stop to let the radiator cool down so he could add water to it. None of these incidences spoiled our game drives as we just embraced it as part of our African adventures. We would recommend that Morningstar consider purchasing a few newer (2020 or newer) jeeps to add to their fleets to mitigate these issues. In one jeep, the charging ports didn’t always work and we found the windows were a little sticky, a little hard to slide or roll up and down (because of the dust in the tracks?). 5. A safari may not be for you if you suffer from motion sickness, are unable to handle being in a jeep for several hours a day (we usually went on 2 game drives each day and were on the move from park to park so we spent 8-10 hours a day in the jeep), unlike some people who have a hotel as a
home base and just venture out once a day for a 3-4 hour game drive), or have bladder issues. Our drivers stopped every couple of hours so we could have a break. 6. We experienced perfect weather, no rain and 24C-30C temperatures during the day, we wore shorts every day and didn’t need to use insect repellant or use the mosquito net at night while sleeping. 6. We only needed money for tipping, drinks, and for any souvenirs we wished to purchase as everything else was prepaid. We always had lots of bottled water in our jeep so no need to bring a water bottle. I would recommend that you bring binoculars, a power bank to charge your phone and make sure you have an outlet adapter. We bought headlamps but didn’t need them as the camps are well lit and the staff escort you at night (if you’re in an unfenced camp like we were). 7. We visited Nairobi, Nairobi Nat’l Park, Lake Naivasha & Crescent Island (highly recommend), Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara (the migration), Northern and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater (it’s actually a caldera) and Amboseli. 8. I would also
recommend that you fly from national park to national park as it takes a long time to drive a short distance. The drive from Central Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater was particularly long (roads are really, really
bad). We did fly from Amboseli back to Nairobi (40 min flight versus a 6-7 hour drive). Overall: We were happy with Morningstar and impressed with Alice Moraa and Augustine’s services. We got to see all The Big Five several times and saw SO many animals very close up. We were a little disappointed with Ngorongoro. Visiting a caldera is very cool and interesting but we didn’t see as many animals there and they were usually far away. The other parks were fantastic though. A safari is truly a unique and nice in a lifetime experience which is worth every penny. Visiting a zoo is now going to be very under-whelming. 😝 To witness animals roaming freely in their natural habitats is nothing short of amazing!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Excellent value for money. The hotels we stayed in were fantastic and the staff couldnt do enough for us. Ben (our driver) was brillaint. He really cared about giving us an amazing experience, the animals, was always on time and was always happy to answer questions. I would highly recommend Axis and Ben if you are considering a safari adventure
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An unforgettable experience with Serengeti African Tours! Highly recommended, perfectly organized.
We had an absolutely incredible safari adventure with Serengeti African Tours, and we couldn’t be happier with our entire journey! Great value for money and reliability!
A truly special and heartfelt thank you goes to our local guide, Floridi. He made our trip extraordinary in every way. Floridi is the epitome of professionalism, patience, and dedication. He was always attentive, flexible with our needs, and took exceptional care of us from day one. His deep knowledge of the wilderness and his tireless effort to track wildlife ensured we saw every animal imaginable, turning every game drive into a thrilling experience.
We also want to extend our warmest thanks to Namayani, our tour organizer at Serengeti African Tours. From the very beginning, her communication, responsiveness, and flawless organization made the whole planning process seamless. Every detail, transfer, and lodge was carefully arranged, allowing us to enjoy the trip with total peace of mind.
If you are planning a safari in Tanzania, we wholeheartedly recommend Serengeti African Tours. Thank you, Floridi and Namayani, for giving us memories that will stay with us for a lifetime!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lovely safari experience!
We had a great time on safari with Edwin (4 days, Maasai Mara) - the organisation and communication was 5 stars, both before the safari and afterwards. The team took good care of us with the pickup, preparations and the drop-off at the end, coming to say goodbye to us. It was a private safari which was well priced, so also great value for money. We really appreciated our guide, and his expertise. He was very respectful of the animals, some other drivers/cars we saw in the park were more intrusive to the animals, so we really appreciated that. The only thing is that if you want a very chatty and entertaining driver, that was not the case, he was more serious and quiet but we got along very nicely and we were really happy - he always drove us to any animal we wanted to see, and gave us great wildlife sightings. We trusted him a lot. We also loved the Endeem camp just on the edge of the Mara, and enjoyed meeting the local community. Thank you to all the of the team for the unforgettable experience!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient
Ben was tops- we got to see all the animals we wanted in his safe hands. You could tell his experience of where to look and his knowledge was ideal for what we wanted
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Safari Experience – Aslan Adventure Tours Exceeded Every Expectation!
Our safari in Kenya with Aslan Adventure Tours was truly the trip of a lifetime! We visited Lake Naivasha, the Maasai Mara, and Amboseli National Park, and had the incredible experience of seeing all of the Big Five. Every destination offered something unique, from breathtaking landscapes to unforgettable wildlife encounters.
What made this trip especially meaningful, though, was our guide and driver, Joseph. He was absolutely incredible! His knowledge, passion, kindness, and dedication made every day special. He went above and beyond to ensure we had the best possible experience, and his ability to spot wildlife and share his knowledge made every game drive exciting. Most importantly, Joseph made us feel like family. By the end of our trip, he wasn’t just our guide anymore—he was someone we will always hold close to our hearts.
Aslan Adventure Tours, Neena & Grace, helped create memories that will last a lifetime, and we cannot recommend them highly enough. If you’re planning a safari in Kenya, look no further! The combination of incredible wildlife, stunning scenery, and exceptional personal service made this experience unforgettable.
A special thank you to Joseph for making our adventure so extraordinary. We arrived as travelers and left feeling like family. We hope our paths cross again someday!
Five stars isn’t enough. Highly, highly recommend Aslan Adventure Tours!
MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, with helpful driver
Excellent service, clean and comfy car, helpful and respectful driver (Mr Thomas) and everything arranged and done timely.
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very helpful and fun!
We enjoyed the Safari and our stay was very nice!! I highly recommend we saw very many wildlife and would love to do it again.