Kenan Travel & Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Gigi | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenan Travel for a Safari of a Lifetime
Jane at Kenan travel provided us with an amazing 8 day Safari to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara that we will never forget. Our Lodges were so nice for the price with great food, service and accommodation. Our guide, David was excellent and we appreciated he experience and long hours to insure we had the best game drives ever. Examples: we found a leopard in the bushes below a dead wildebeest hanging from the limb of a tree in the Mara. Other jeeps came and went taking quick pics and leaving, but David let us watch her for over an hour going down to the creek for a drink and then climbing the tree to eat on the dead animal. Our photos were amazing and the experience was so incredible. The same for 2 lionesses behind a bush at Lake Nakuru, after the other jeeps left they finally sat up and put on a great show of yawning, stalking buffalo, etc.
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Email Tim C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari planner - focused, detailed and responsive
Jane at Kenan Travels was an excellent tour organizer for my safari trip to Amboseli and Masai Mara. We started emailing about 5 or 6 months before trips and even before things were confirmed, she worked very hard and faithfully with all my questions.
She included my preferences for specific lodges, and completely took care of all the logistics and details in the bush as well as Nairobi - which I used for before and after as staging stop (getting to know Kenya, repacking luggage, getting the covid testing, etc). She was detailed and responded on time, and for the Nairobi location, was able to coordinate meals locations. She included the lunch into my package - and I was stuffed at Carnivore. I had a personal driver each day, and it was a great resource in a new city like Nairobi. A shout-out to Anthony. For the return trip home, she also coordinate the best place for covid testing.
Whether if you know your preferences or you need someone to guide all the way, Jane at Kenan is reliable, honest and responsive. Good luck on your trip.
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Email Thomas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good option for custom itineraries through Kenya
We (late 20s couple) typically never book with a tour company for our travel but since this was our first safari we decided to work with Kenan Travel to arrange a private tour. Our safari was 2 weeks through Kenya where we stayed at a wide range of properties from budget to mid range to luxury.
Pro:
- Jane was extremely flexible and worked with us so that we could have the exact itinerary we wanted. It was very easy to continue to make adjustments as we delayed the trip a year due to covid.
- Mike, our hiking guide for Mt Longonot, was absolutely fantastic and would highly recommend working with him for short hikes or longer trips.
- Vehicles were in good condition and prices were reasonable.
- The parks / reserves / conservancies we visited were of course amazing - the Naboisho Conservancy is not to be missed.
Con:
- Some small issues where Jane/Kenan Travel were not aware of some new policies / regulations:
- We stayed outside the park at Samburu and were not able to re-enter for a morning game drive on the day we were leaving, apparently this is a new policy
- We did not get a reservation for the elephant orphanage in Nairobi and couldn't visit
- Flamingo Hill Camp is "inside the park" at Lake Nakuru, but due to rising water the small section of the park with Flamingo Hill Camp is cut off from the rest of the park. The new park gate is a 40 minute drive away through the city and around the lake - it would have been good to know this ahead of time since it was quite inconvenient.
- our driver/guide for the main part of the trip, Simon, wasn't a great fit for us. He didn't realize it was our first safari until 3 days into the trip, and we typically got a late start on morning game drives. We had a different driver/guide for the last day of the trip at Nairobi National Park who was great, and the guides at Basecamp in Naboisho Conservancy were truly excellent.
Excellent tour operator, personal and professional
Over a year ago I put a previous review of Kenan travel and tours on here expressing my feelings of the excellent service i was receiving from tour manager Jane and I can now fully justify those comments after recently completing a memorable fly in safari package booked through her at Basecamp Eagle View in the Mara Naboisho conservancy. Jane recommended Eagle view after listening to my desired preferences of being based in a quiet conservancy camp where would have a good chance of seeing alot of wildlife from an open sided safari vehicle and it proved to be an excellent choice at a competitive rate. Thank you for a memorable safari experience and hassle free booking and payment process.
Email Doug Williams | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Helpful, responsive, adaptable and good value.
We were looking for a 9 day itinerary for our family - two 50 something parents and our twenty something daughters, alas our son couldn't join us I looked into trying to organise stuff myself but then tried Kenan Travel and tours and they were excellent. Jane was easy to communicate with, replied promptly, developed easy to understand itineraries and was happy to adapt and chop and change until we got what we thought was "just right". As far as I can tell Jane also developed a tour at a fraction of the price I could manage myself.
Jane organised driver for us, David, who was a joy to be with. We had safaris in the Masai Mara (Amazing! Go there if you have the time and, for an indulgence, try the balloon ride; a stunning experience). We had a trip to Kiembethu tea plantation - quite different but a really enjoyable and informative day. We also want to Nakuru and Ol-pajeta. All the game park accommodation organised was excellent.
David was extremely knowledgable (I guess all the drivers are) and worked hard to help us see all the animals. We saw all the big 5 and saw both black and white rhino too. David come up with ideas to help us make the most of the safari days but was happy to dial it back a bit if we felt a later start was good idea!
All in all really positive experience.
DE
Email Johan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well organised and relatively good value
Jane was very helpful with getting the right itinerary for our 7-day safari to Amboseli, Naivasha, Nakuru and Maasai Mara. Both she and our guide Eric were very responsive to our requests and always very punctual. The itinerary was excellent and the accommodation largely very good (not that impressed by the Lake Naivasha Country Club). We saw everything you would hope to see on a safari in Kenya, and more.
Eric really went out of his way to get us to see all the animals and sights we were interested in and we got some amazing pictures and experiences.
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Email Ron S | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari Experience
Jane was exceptional at responding to any and all inquiries. During our safari, she continued to be responsive through Whatsapp. We booked the 7-day Kenya-Tanzania loop from October 5-13, 2022, that included Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Amboseli. We highly recommend it. Each environmental was different, but the Serengeti was the highlight. We were lucky to have Stewart as our guide in the Serengeti and Samwell as our guide in Amboseli. Although each camp/lodge was great, we especially enjoyed Tortillis Camp and Ngorongoro Farmhouse.
Email Monica and John Kirby | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect Tanzanian Trip
From first contacting Jane at Kenan Travel and Tours until we left Tanzania at the end of our holiday, we had a great experience. Jane listened to our wants and needs and organised our safari perfectly. She arranged for us to have Steven as our driver guide. We wanted to do birding and Steven knew a lot of the birds and had good eyes to find them. His knowledge of Tanzania and the history and facts of the parks were second to none and we learned a lot from him. The vehicle was comfortable and seemed well maintained. We stayed at Meru View Lodge, Sangaiwe tented camp and Country Lodge Karatu and all three were brilliant!
Thanks again Jane. We unreservedly recommend your company to anyone looking for an East African Safari at a good price.
Email Chris D | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 5-Day Tanzania Experience
We asked Kenan Travel & Tours to organise a ‘Mid-range, 5-day Tanzania experience’ at short notice based around our tight travel schedule.
Our contact, Jennifer, designed an excellent holiday which included a 4-day safari and a 1-day cultural experience. The price included everything we required including transfers, accommodation, all meals and drinking water, 4X4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and park fees. Email communication with Jennifer was excellent throughout and payment was straightforward.
Our guide for the 5 days was George who met us at Kilimanjaro Airport off our early morning flight and drove us straight to Tarangire National Park for our first safari day. George’s knowledge of Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was excellent. His driving experience in these vast, seemingly endless, parks was invaluable because he had no maps and we were dependent on his knowledge of the network of tracks to get us to the best wildlife viewing locations. We were soon ticking of all sorts of animals and birds and over the 5 days saw the ‘Big 5’ as well as dozens of other amazing animals and beautiful birds.
We stayed at 2 tented camps (Burunge and Katikati) and at both the service was friendly and welcoming, the accommodation excellent (huge beds, ensuite showers and toilets) and the food was tasty and plentiful. Our final night was spent at the beautiful Ngorongoro Farmhouse Lodge where most of the food served in the restaurant is grown on the farm and it was delicious.
If you are looking for a memorable Tanzania experience, I recommend Kenan Travel & Tours.
PT
Email Henrique | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
My wife had wanted to do a safari for a long time. Kenya and Tanzania were our top choices. As we had no experience with Sub-Saharan Africa, I was inclined to have a travel agency based in my home country (Portugal) take care of everything. However, browsing online, I came across Kenan Travel & Tours. Their reviews were excellent, and their “7 Days Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Amboseli” tour sounded tailor-made for us (the price sounded fair enough too). Not going with a home-based travel agency would entail booking flights, taking care of visas and health preparations, etc, on our own, but we were hoping a local tour operator would provide a more authentic experience. We are more than pleased with the results.
My exploratory contacts were met with prompt and clear responses from Jennifer, who reliably and competently took care of things. There was plenty of opportunity for customising our trip. Besides a private 4x4 and accommodation in Nairobi for our first night, we requested a French-speaking driver/guide and a balloon safari.
On arrival, we were met by Jennifer and a driver, who drove us to our hotel in Nairobi. The next day, Jane came to see us for a relaxed and informative briefing about what was to come and left us in the great care of our first driver/guide. From then on, despite our itinerary involving travelling hundreds of kilometres in sometimes very remote areas, crossing dozens of villages and small towns, entering four national reserves, crossing borders twice, and switching guides twice, everything went according to plan.
Not only were the safari experiences as phenomenal as we were expecting – we got to see hundreds of wild animals, including the big five, roaming around freely in stunning settings (at times lions and elephants just a few steps from us) –, but the road trips between reserves proved awe-inspiring experiences in themselves. Most of the landscapes were literally breathtaking. The lodges, especially in Tanzania (Tortilis group), added much to the experience.
Our three drivers/guides – Julius (Kenya), Hassan (Tanzania) and Samuel (Kenya) – were top-notch in terms of expertise and professionalism, remarkably proficient in French (and English, and even Spanish), as well as caring and willing to cater to our every need and request. Julius provided an unforgettable introduction to the world of safaris. Afterwards, we grew especially fond of Hassan, the brilliant driver/guide with whom we spent more time and experienced the most amazing highlights of our trip. The 4x4s – one for Kenya and one for Tanzania – were in impeccable condition and proved perfect for all purposes.
All in all, this trip exceeded our best expectations. If we return to East Africa, we will not hesitate to resort to Kenan Travel & Tours services again.