Ker & Downey® Africa staff
Ker & Downey Africa
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- APTA, SATSA, CTT & Safe Travels
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Sue Fair | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip to Capetown and Botswana
My sister and I had Ker&Downey plan our trip to Africa. Sarah Morris and Brondwyn Nel helped curate a very customized and special trip for our combined family of 10. All the lodgings they chose for us were unique and we felt spoiled by the staff from the food to the animal sightings. It was our first time to Arica and we loved our itinerary. We went to Capetown up to Victoria Falls and moved around to a few different camps in Botswana. Sarah and Brondwyn were very patient with all our questions and everything was seamless from our greeting in Capetown to our goodbyes in Johannesburg. Thank you so much for an incredible trip!
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Email Mitch | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ker & Downey Africa is the best!
Ker & Downey Africa not only helped our group of 22 plan an amazing trip, they were there with us every step of the way. Our regional air travel, including flights in the Bush, was flawless - as were all of the transfers at each location. We stayed in 4 and 5 Star accommodations and ate like kings and queens. Our trip included two luxurious safari camps, time in Victoria Falls and 5 days in South Africa in the beautiful wine region. Sarah Morris (CEO) and her team are awesome!
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Email Ian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent - Great communication and planned to perfection - Masai Mara and Lewa Conservancy
Sarah and the rest of the Ker & Downey team planned an exceptional Safari experience for us that went off without a hitch and was worth every penny. Throughout, the team was very attentive and communicative. Both the Lewa Conservancy and Masai Mara were stunning and the game drives were outstanding. The accommodations were stellar and the guides/staff could not have been more welcoming and attentive. Would highly recommend
Email Marthie Janse van Rensburg | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Thoughtful & well organised
Our tour for 8 individuals were organised by Caroline & Brondwyn, whom truly went above & beyond to accommodate our large group. All arrangements were done and changed to accommodate our every whim. Always curtious, friendly and helpful.
We had an absolutely wonderful experience. Forever grateful.
Thank you.
HK
Email Anne | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service & an unforgettable experience!
Our trip to Tanzania was perfectly curated by Wendy and her team at Ker & Downey, with top notch service and exceptional care on this unforgettable journey. Not only were the accommodations magical and bespoke, but our tour guides at every location gave us amazing glimpses into the terrain and animal activities during the safari. We can’t say enough good things about the animals we saw at arms length, but more than that, when one of our party had a serious health issue that required medical attention throughout the entire 8 day journey, Wendy was there to amend our schedules, ensure that medical attention was given and helped arranged a Medevac air flight for our friend. She went through tremendous inconvenience ( this was during the Chinese New Year holiday when she should have spent it with family undisturbed) to give us attention even at odd hours of the night. For this, we are extremely grateful and in awe of how she went above and beyond to keep us safe. We really have to say that a tour operator that keeps you safe in Africa and is accessible and available when unforeseen things happen, is truly the kind of company you want to write a glowing review for. And if we could give Wendy 10 stars instead of 5, we would! Thank you Wendy and team!
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Email Lauren | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional
Our travel planner, Natasha, listened to our needs made suggestions and was impressively available whenever we asked for her time. Each of the lodges were unique and the trip went very smoothly. So many memorable highlights. The museum in Rwanda, the gorilla trekking, the sunrise and singing wake-up in Virunga lodge, the hot air balloon ride. All the lodges were amazing and the service and food exceeded our expectations. I wish we had spent 2 days in Ngorongoro Crater but we had time restrictions. We so appreciated Natasha's keeping in touch throughout our trip.
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Email James and Tammy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour operator shown excellent customer service and extremely knowlegable of south africa
Thanks for a beautiful itinerary, excellent accommodations, and memorable food and wine experiences. Thanks also to the guides for providing an experience that exceeded expectations.
PH
Email Mira | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Recommended by a good friend, KDA gifted us with memories to last a lifetime.
It was our first trip to Africa. We were looking for a luxury safari experience. We were referred to KDA by a friend who had gone with her extended family. Before going, our KDA contact was very professional: provided so much information on what to bring, how the tipping was. She also made sure to closely coordinate with us on the budget and preferences, so that the package would be right for us, for instance, if we weren't experienced campers, then she excluded camping in the bush. She made sure to schedule calls with us, and was available through WhatsApp and video calls. KDA even handled our Tanzania visas for us. Even before we left, we felt we were in good hands.
I discovered that when I travel, I have subconscious expectations of stress. The pick-up might be late, the weather might be bad, the traffic, noise, smells --- all things that go with traveling to a place one has never been to before.
Arriving in Tanzania had none of that. It was July which is their winter. The weather was crisp and cool, and the air smelled so fresh. Frank, our KDA guide, met us as we exited the airport doors. He settled us in the Land Cruiser and handed us personalized reusable water bottles, assuring us that it was filtered. He gave us locally-made blankets as gifts. I think those first few minutes were the perfect balm to nerves frazzled from almost 24 hours of traveling.
KDA booked us in Arusha Coffee Lodge (overnight), Nimali Tarangire to be near Tarangire National Park, Acacia Farm Lodge to be near Ngorongoro Crater, and at Siringit Serengeti and Nimali Mara for two separate parts of the Serengeti. It was perfectly planned. From our first wildebeest sighting enroute to Tarangire (We hadn't even arrived at the park; Frank just drove us to a watering hole off the highway.), to first seeing all the animals at the parks, to seeing lions really close at Siringit, and ending at Nimali Mara with their majestic view. We were lucky to cap it off with a wildebeest river crossing; not all the travelers we came across did. KDA planned the perfect crescendo of a trip.
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Email Maria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip!
Our African safari trip was totally incredible. We absolutely loved our safari guides, accommodations, food, camp settings, and all of the people we interacted with in Tanzania and Kenya.
The vacation was super memorable and one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.
One drawback of the process was the booking and payment that occurred before we departed for the trip. Over the course of one year while the trip was being planned, confirmed and paid for, there was some staff turnover in the Ker & Downey office that resulted in some difficulties with finalizing trip details.
On my end I had a change in personal circumstances that required some trip rearrangements. At that time, the original employee who handled the trip left the company and so my trip was handled by employees I hadn’t met previously. This transition was not seamless and there were times when I was frustrated and getting conflicting information from different employees.
However, those issues were sorted out before departure and the trip itself was very smooth. Everyone was very responsive during the trip, even when their local time was in the middle of the night.
Our designed itinerary was perfect and we are very thankful for the unique and luxurious experience we had.
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Email Beverly Milano | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sarah created our trip WAY beyond our expectations.
The communication from Sarah from day one was exquisite. She asked what we expected to see and do. Once Sarah knew what we wanted from our trip, she was on top of it. Sarah sent us ideas and then we picked what we wanted. She was available anytime we had questions. We communicated by email, WhatsApp, and video chats. It is always nice to see the person you are communicating with. Sarah went above and beyond to help me celebrate my brother's birthday. She had it set that at each place we stayed, the first night he had some sort of celebration.
We were amazed at the price for what we had experienced.
We flew into Johannesburg for the night. The next morning we were off to Jock Safari Lodge for 3 days. Lazarus was our guide. He was so knowledgeable and funny. His love and passion for the animals made him so memorable. We did 4 jeep safaris and 2 walking safaris. We were lucky to see the Big Five on our first day, along with many other animals and birds. I loved this place so much that it made my heart sad to leave.
We then went on to Old Drift Lodge for 2 days. We did a jeep safari and a river cruise. We saw the hippos and crocodiles. We went to the Elephant Encounter and Victoria Falls.
Then on to Cape Town. We stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel. What a treat that was. We went to Boulder Beach to see the penguins. We visited the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, and Groot Constantia Vineyard and Winery. We did a cooking class in BoKaap. It was so much fun.
Words cannot express the memories and experiences this trip's itinerary has given us. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
