CKC Guide on Safari
CKC Tours & Travel
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2001)
- Member Of:
- ASTA & KATO
- 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)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Rachel and Josh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we'd hoped for and more
As part of our 3-week honeymoon across three countries in Africa in August 2018, my husband and I chose to do a 9-day tour with CKC Tours and Travel. We did the "CKC 102: 8 Day Flamingos & Diani Sands Kenya" tour, but with an extra day added on to the Masai Mara. We'd never been on safari or to Africa before so we didn't entirely know what to expect, and we were very happy with the outcome.
The planning was very simple: I contacted CKC through Safari Bookings originally, got a quick response, then I continued to communicate with John Muhoho, the manager, after that via email. He always replied swiftly to my messages and was very helpful with tailoring the trip to suit our timetable.
Our trip itinerary was as follows: Day 1, Travel Nairobi to Lake Nakuru, evening game drive (Flamingo Hill Tented Camp), Day 2-4 Masai Mara (Mpata Safari Club), Day 5-8 Chale Island (The Sands at Chale Island), and Day 9 half day at Chale then flight back to Nairobi in the evening.
We were met at our hotel in Nairobi on the first morning of the trip by John. He went through the itinerary with us then introduced us to our driver and guide, Kennedy. We then set off with Kennedy on our trip.
[Recommendation to CKC: don't print things unnecessarily, and if you do have to print, then do it double sided. We had previously been emailed the itinerary so there was no need to print out two copies for us. Save paper where possible :). You could give customers an opt-in option for it to be printed out.]
Kennedy was great. He was friendly and helpful, admirably drove us many many miles for many hours over very rough terrain and still was keen to take us out on a game drive the same evening, he was very receptive to our questions and taught us a lot about Kenya, politics, and the Masai people on our journeys. Of course though one of the best things about Kennedy was his clear passion for his job and for nature. He was most enthusiastic about finding the best wildlife sightings to make our holiday great, and always told us about the animals in great detail, answering our questions informatively. He had the utmost respect for the animals and environment and it was clear he wanted to share this with others.
Our trip was a private tour, and so it was just my husband and I with Kennedy in the vehicle. We had loads of space and it was great this way because we had the freedom to do exactly what we wanted, like go out on an epic 9-hour game drive (well done Kennedy). It also meant that everything was done at our convenience, we could choose what we wanted to see and also always have the best views out the vehicle. The roof was open on the van for game drives so you could stand and look out, which was great fun and the breeze was lovely.
We saw some absolutely incredible sights while we were in Kenya, thanks to our guide Kennedy. We saw lots of lions, including some mating, and a large family with cubs playing with each other. We saw loads of hyenas, and a pack of hyenas with cubs, which were adorable! We saw the huge flock of flamingos as far as the eye can see in Lake Nakuru. And of course the most prized sighting in the Masai Mara: we saw a Wildebeest river crossing of the great migration. An amazing spectacle, not just the nature but also everyone watching and waiting too!!
Some of the most memorable animals we saw in Kenya were baboons, elephants, monitor lizards, Nile crocodiles, Masai giraffes, hippos, impalas, topis, waterbucks, Thomson's gazelles, elands, zebras, flamingos, fish eagles, secretary birds, guineafowl, ostriches, wildebeest, jackals, mongooses, southern white rhinos, hyenas, buffalo, lions, and warthogs.
We really had such a fantastic time with Kennedy on our journey with him to Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. It was wonderful just knowing that everything was taken care of for us and already paid, and we had absolutely nothing to concern ourselves with during our trip, except having an amazing time and learning about the beautiful Kenyan wildlife.
For the final part of our trip, we said goodbye to Kennedy and popped on a flight over to Ukunda Airstrip at Diani, from where we were transferred to Chale Island. Everything went very smoothly and we arrived in time for dinner. Chale was amazing (I've written a separate review for the resort) and the perfect peaceful and relaxing end to our honeymoon.
We really had the trip of a lifetime in Kenya thanks to John for his efficient organisation and Kennedy for his dedicated guiding and driving.
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Email George and Jan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour operator was personally committed to helping us retrieve personal papers lost on trip.
Our tour guide prepared personal itinerary copies for all four members of our family and thoroughly explained all details and answered any questions we had regarding the upcoming experience. He provided necessary transportation for us from airport to hotel and from hotel to airport. We felt cared for, provided for and trusted his advice and busing from restaurant to Giraffe camp in Nairobi. The connections from the airport in the bush to the camp site was punctual, safe, and enjoyable. Our safari guide was just fantastic and the safari camp was excellent. While in Zanzibar we experienced a wonderful old hotel and were served there by wonderful folks and an excellent transporter person from airport to hotel and back when we needed to leave. We will more than recommend the accommodations that we experienced. The tour guide in Zanzibar was also very personable and helpful giving lots of detailed information from his personal knowledge of having lived there his whole life.
We can't say anything but good about our whole trip Friday evening to Friday morning. All of our trip was beyond our expectations.
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Email Thomas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari and Vacation in Tanzania!
My wife and I used CKC tours for our honeymoon in April of 2018. John Muhoho did a great job planning the trip and was very responsive and accommodating during our planning phase. We requested a last minute change to our itinerary so that we would start 1 day later than initially planned and CKC was able to easily take care of this for us. We really appreciated that as it took a lot of stress off of us and saved us from having to reschedule flights.
Our guide throughout the safari was John Macha and he did an absolutely fantastic job. It is impressive how quickly and easily he can spot an animal a mile away while he is fighting through mud in a stick-shift land cruiser! If you are riding along with John, you will see all the wildlife that you would hope to see. He is also very responsive to any small changes you may want to make during the day - as far as where you want to go and how long you want to stay there. Flexibility was a recurring theme in our experience with CKC. It really does feel like you are riding along with a friend and not like you are locked into a rigidly planned itinerary.
My wife and I went during the "rainy" season which is not the peak tourist season. I would highly recommend that people consider going during this time. The weather is milder and the parks and lodges are not as busy as they are during the dry season. The wildlife is not as condensed during the rainy season, but we still saw 4 out of the big 5 (no Rhinos for us!) and in general, there was no shortage of wildlife around during this time.
Overall I highly recommend CKC tours for your African safari. They are extremely professional and courteous and the experience with them is the trip of a lifetime!
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Email Carrie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenya safari
Six person family group safari. It was awesome! John was there at the Nairobi airport at 11 pm to get us safely to our hotel. Back the next morning to send us off on our adventure.
We did the flying, small plane, trip to Masai Mara. Lovely resort on the game preseve. Excellent food. Excellent guide who drove on road, off road, to get us up close and personal with the animals. Wonderful photos. Lions, elephants, giraffes, more! Our guide was great, and they all help each other, on their phones identifying where they best animal sightings are. They second morning we had a lovely open air champagne breakfast buffet at the aptly named Hippo Pool.
Flight back to Nairobi, then to Amboseli, an altogether different environment. Flat, savannah with marshland with a gorgeous view of Kilimanjaro. Wildebeests here, plus more elephants. More variety of birds. More lions. And monkeys. They warned us to shut the sliding glass doors, not just the screen, when you left your room. Or the monkeys rip the screen, ransack your stuff, eat your snacks. Really.
Back to Nairobi, where John delivered us to our hotel, and later to the airport. We could not have had a better time. The sights, the accommodations, the food, the transportation: everything was wonderful. We were well taken care of from start to finish. I’m someone who usually sets up my own trips, doesn’t do tours, but I totally appreciated the excellent care that went into this one.
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Email Mike | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
CKC Tours (John Mohoho) planned our 6 person excursion (2 days in Massai Mara, a travel day and 2 days in Amboseli). They arranged pickup at the Nairobi airport when we arrived and planned every step of our trip until we left. If there was a problem, John was there to resolve the issue immediately. The trip could not have been better planned or executed.
In addition, both safari locations were different and fabulous. Massai Mara was a sweeping vista of hills, valleys and grassy plains surrounded by mountains. The weather was perfect and the guide was excellent. The guides communicate via radio and if one spots an interesting sight, they all know about it. Our guide was continually spotting animals, getting us close to them and providing excellent commentary along the way. We spent as much time off road as on roads. Also, do not pass up the chance for the Hippo breakfast. The view and food are both incredible. From the airport pickup to airport droppoff, Massai Mara was a continual source of beauty and fun.
Amboseli was also a wonderful experience. It was different in that it was a desert plain at the base of Kilamanjaro. Awesome mountain views at sunrise and sunset are not to be missed. We spent most of the time on roads and trails but animals were plentiful and varied. In addition, the wetlands provided wonderful opportunities to spot many different birds. Observation hill is a great place to see the whole panorama at once.
I would highly recommend having CKC Tours arrange a trip for you .. I know we will return and have John and his group plan another spectacular vacation for us.
Also, both lodges were terrific. Clean, friendly, customer oriented and terrific food (buffet style).
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Email Joel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Safari Experience in Tanzania - Would Highly Recommend
Our experience with CKC Tours and Travel was exceptional. This was the first time we planned an experience like this and the planning smooth and easy. Mr. Muholo was very responsive to our needs and helped worked through several iterations and customizations of the itinerary until we had it all planned to our satisfaction. Email inquiries were responded to quickly, usually the next day. We planned a five-day safari in Tanzania that included visits to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater (the best) national parks. The actual safari experience was amazing! From the initial pickup at our residence in Nairobi to the drop off at the airport we felt well taken care of. Our safari guide, John, was the absolute best. He was courteous, considerate, always on-time, and did a great job of finding the animals. The three Serena lodges that were booked for the tour were beautiful and super comfortable accommodations—each with their own personality, but consistent quality of service. Ending each day relaxing in the lodge with bottle of wine was the perfect ending to the day’s experiences. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and safari experience. We would highly recommend booking a tour with CKC.
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Email Phil | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was a once-in-a-lifetime tour!
My tour through Kenya was absolutely incredible. From the moment I was picked up at the airport by John and Simon, through my safaris at Lake Nakuru and Massai Mara, and back to our beautiful hotel in Nairobi, this was an A+ trip. Our driver and guide Simon was beyond incredible. He seemed to know exactly where each and every animal would be hiding during our safaris, providing the perfect amount of adventure and excitement. I cannot recommend this tour group more highly!
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Email Mario Estrada | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenyan Safari made easy
Exploring unknown lands can be so incredible but it's often intimidating. CKC Tours made this adventure so easy and enjoyable. From the moment we were picked up from the airport to the moment they dropped us off, they made every part of the trip effortless. We saw the sunrise flight of flamingos on Lake Nakuru, drove next to Rhino's, came across a lion pouncing on a pair of cheetahs in Masai Mara and even enjoyed an impromptu motor boat encounter with some up close hippos on Lake Navasio that our driver Simon made happen. We had limited time and they worked so hard to make sure we saw everything and they did it with a smile. The hardest part of our days was waking up to make sure we saw everything!
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Email Nick | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an amazing adventure
Simon, John and CKC tours did an amazing job! We had a fantastic time. The Lions! The Elephants! Simon our tour guide and driver made sure that we got to see it all. He was extremely friendly and very knowledgable. John our tour operator was always there with a smile from the moment we arrived in Nairobi. It was really a great experience! Thank you!
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Email Chris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience
John & CKC Tours & Travel were SO incredible during our time in Kenya. Can't say enough good things about them. If possible, ask for Simon as a tour guide.