Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 31-40 of 115 Reviews
Filip Möller   –  
Sweden SE
Visited: July 2019 Reviewed: Jul 16, 2019

Email Filip Möller  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Top quality safari
5/5

We booked a 4-day safari in Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha. The driver Peter was very professional and hospitable. The first night was spent Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge and the remaining two nights at Basecamp Masai Mara. Truly excellent hotels in every aspect. Basecamp was very integrated in the nature and involved in the local community. We had the luck to see 4 out of 5 of the “big five”, excluding rhinos. The booking process was very smooth and hassle free. Daniel was a pleasure to deal with and even booked our flights to and from Watamu after the safari. I can highly recommend this tour operator and also Kenya as a destination - me and my girlfriend had the travel of our lives.

Spiritus Sanctus   –  
Austria AT
Visited: December 2018 Reviewed: Jan 16, 2019

Email Spiritus Sanctus  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

13 days northern Kenia masterly tailored
5/5

Our 13 day safari was, by far, the most expensive journey we ever made. Did we like it and do we have the feeling that it was worth it?
Definitely: YES!!! :-) :-)

The tour Daniel has choosen for us was exactly what we wanted! Driving safari, boat, walking, culture.

The midrange lodges exceeded our expectation! Especially the Tumbili Cliff Lodge and the SOPA lodge have been stunning. Best vegan kitchen was SOPA.
We managed to stay mostly vegan. All of the kitchen staff was very helpful.

As we already have seen the big 5 and many other animals of Africa, we asked our guide Peter especially for distinct animals. The day we wanted to see a cheeta, we saw 8 and a smashing hunting scene. Our guide did a good work and fulfilled all our wishes.

Even when I left a beautiful masai-designed belt in our last hotel, Peter offered to send it back to Austria.

It was a fabulous safari!!
THX for the neat organisation!!

Greetings, Spiritus & Girlfriend

Ashley   –  
United States US
Visited: August 2018 Reviewed: Nov 12, 2018

Email Ashley  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Fabulous 5-Day Safari Experience
5/5

My partner and I booked a two-person, 5-day safari with Transtrek. Daniel was prompt, forthcoming, and full of helpful information before booking and also before our trip departure from the US. Once with our local guidedriver, Tony, we knew we were in good hands. Tony was highly knowledgeable about wildlife, friendly with the Masai guides at our lodges, and was happy to customize and cater our day treks to our needs. He made sure we had chances to see all the big 5 and any particular animals we were interested in and we loved being in our private Range Rover for viewing without the crowds.

We especially loved the Basecamp Eagle's Nest camping experience--this ecotourism group is owned by the Masai people and does great work in the community. It was the best of the places we stayed and we really got to know the staff--from our Masai guides to the chef to the locals in the nearby village. It made our trip special!

The Pordes Family   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Oct 20, 2018

Email The Pordes Family  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A life-changing experience, beautifully planned and executed by Transtrek Safaris
5/5

We are giving Transtrek a five-star rating because our experience - ten days in Kenya - was so exciting, beautiful and memorable. We asked three tour operator to send us offers. Not only was the offer by Transtrek the most varied and interesting, Dan even called my mobile phone within an hour of my posting the request, to check and ask us what we really wanted. Our safari took us to the highlands north of Nairobi as well as to the Masai Mara in the West. Each day was more exciting than the previous one and we actually saw a couple of Cheetah kills that were absolutely stunning. Our guide, Peter, was superb at finding interesting animals and we saw all the Big Five. He is also an excellent driver who managed to avoid hurting our necks and backs (we were a senior group) by carefully negotiating all major bumps and tranches. A few minor complaints: We should have skipped the Chimpanzee sanctuary (sad and a bit boring) and the tame, blind Rhino at Ol Pejeta (you are supposed to be able to pet him but he never showed up) and used the time to do more game drives. The Balloon Ride was hellishly expensive but really worth the experience. The Masai Village visit was exploitative of tourists and we felt pressured to buy gifts. In the Mara, we thought Ashnil Camp was somewhat dated and decaying, with a dilapidated swimming pool, but Eagle View was fantastic! You have to pick and choose your Camps with care. But overall an outstanding experience and Transtrek are the ones to go with!

Reply from Transtrek Safaris
Reply from Transtrek Safaris
Posted on Oct 22, 2018

Thank you for taking the time to write a review and we are pleased to hear you had such a great time. However we were disappointed to hear about Ashnil Mara, as you know this wasn't our first choice of camp which was unfortunately fully booked for your dates but it should have been a more than satisfactory alternative. I have contacted Ashnil to share your comments and I will share with you any response I receive and I hope that the bush breakfast we organised for you went some way to pacify your disappointment with this camp.

Terry   –  
United States US
Visited: March 2018 Reviewed: Mar 23, 2018

Email Terry  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Only one word to describe our Transtrek Safari with Peter as our guide....INCREDIBLE
5/5

Susan, Jen, Laurie, and i (terry) booked our safari with Daniel at Transtrek. Susan having gone on a similar safaris with them last year. The communication was excellent, every question answered in a timely manner. Additional items like plane travel back to Nairobi, additional game drives, dinner reservs in Nairobi, etc were handled without much involvement on our part and totally met all of our expectations. Peter the driver/guide was stupendous ! such a joy to be around and so knowledgeable about the areas and animals we didnt need id books ! He anticipated our photo positions and always had the animals best interests at heart. Peter had a close network of other guides who communicated with each other to get us to where the animals were instantly. All of the accomadations were great, wouldnt have changed a thing. If anyone reading this would like more detailed info or to see our photos feel free to contact me wrestlpsu@yahoo.com.

Ann   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2017 Reviewed: Nov 17, 2017

Email Ann

Outstanding safari adventure with Transtrek - Book now, do not hesitate.
5/5

After months of research, I finally decided on Transtrek for our "Bucket List" trip. From the start our communication with Daniel was easy and pleasant, he really worked hard to get us the trip we wanted, he is thoughtful and paid close attention to what our needs were. He revised the itinerary a few times with our input, until it was precisely what we wanted, and within our budget. I felt very comfortable using Transtrek which is important when you are spending a good amount of money for a 13-day vacation. Trying to plan something from a distance, with a stranger in another country is intimidating, but working with Daniel was like working with a friend, which truly put us at ease.
The trip itself? Well, we are still smiling, downloading movies and 3500+ photos. It was unbelievable, one cannot imagine the things we saw, everything but the rhino, but that was OK with us since on the way to look for the rhinos, we came upon 2 large male lion brothers on their way back home around 830am. We followed them for an hour, chuffing and roaring as they communicated. The behavior was extremely interesting, and we were so close to them, that my heart started pounding (and I'm not easily frightened) about a 20-25 foot distance.
All of our days were filled with really interesting encounters, a giant python, African hunting dogs (very rare) and a female elephant so close that Peter didn't turn the vehicle off since she was in "charge" mode. We kind of snuck up on her eating in Tsavo West. The brush was so dense that we couldn't see each other until we were right on top of her, and she us. Exhilarating! We saw so much; Lions, hippos, zebra, giraffe, elephant, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, crocodile, hyena, ostrich, warthog and much more. I even got a bunch of kisses from a friendly, beautiful eland at the gate of the Masai Mara reserve. A huge animal with large horns, but tame and friendly as he/she was a rescue at a young age. I could have stayed there all day with the eland, beautiful animal...
This safari was absolutely unforgettable thanks to Peter our driver. He is very knowledgeable, smart, knows his animals and their territories, he was also very accommodating to us and was flexible on his timing. We were in good hands with Peter, we felt safe, comfortable and most of all we had the time of our lives, really an incredible trip. He knew where to locate and spot the animals, as well as an expert on the wildlife itself, especially the birds, so many huge birds in the reserves and Peter knew what all of them were - impressive knowledge.

Do not hesitate for a moment booking with Transtrek if you are searching for a tour company. I am a skeptic at heart, and always will be. I do not ever trust blindly without extensive research, but at some point you need to book a safari with someone, right? My instinct told me Daniel is a trustworthy man after emails back and forth with him, and I am happy to report my instincts paid off. Great trip, great animal sightings, and especially a great company to put my trust in, I would use Transtrek again in a heartbeat.
Asante Sana Transtrek, hope to meet again in the future.

Neil   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: August 2017 Reviewed: Sep 7, 2017

Email Neil  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

'Perfect fit' safari!
5/5

Daniel's advice and knowledge helped us put together a memorable holiday. He explained the reasons for visiting the different areas and everything he said was true! We were very well looked after at Giraffe Manor and Solio Lodge where we enjoyed our game drives with the very knowledgable Amos. The view from Basecamp Eagle View was without doubt outstanding - and with the extra bonus of fresh elephant droppings on the path to breakfast in the morning! Sampson and Kaleb were wonderful guides and great fun to be with. We finished off at Sand River, once again a superb camp where they took pleasure in catering to our every dietary need. It is located in an area well away from the high traffic density of the Mara triangle, and we saw four of the big five before even reaching the Lodge (Thank you Akeba!).
The whole trip went like clockwork, and we are now waiting for the grandkids to be old enough so we can share another safari adventure with them.
Thanks Daniel.

Jeanette   –  
New Zealand NZ
Visited: May 2017 Reviewed: Sep 1, 2017

Email Jeanette  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

So we'll organised and a treat around every corner. Loved how they supported the local communities.
5/5

We chose Transtrek firstly because Daniel was so great to deal with. He was the only one I contacted which called me. He really understood what we wanted and tailored a package that surpassed all our expectations.
Tony, our driver, is such a nice guy and we talked about everything and anything while on the road. He is an exceptional driver and made sure we had the best ever experience.
Tony looked after us from the beginning, picking us up at the airport and taking us to our accommodation. We started at Wilderbeest lodge with a day to recover from our trip (very long from New Zealand). The next day was the elephant sanctuary and the giraffes. Wonderful. The next day lake Naivasha with a boat trip to Crescent island and viewing hippos. Sopa lodge was a stand out accommodation with wildlife in the sorrounding gardens (we had to call reception to get a guide to take us to dinner in case we ran into a Hippo on the lawn

Carsten Udsen   –  
Denmark DK
Visited: January 2017 Reviewed: Feb 6, 2017

Email Carsten Udsen  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Great - great - great
5/5

We did the "Samburu Five and Big Five Safari", and as the title says: everything was great!

Planning of our safari was done by email, and we received good and detailed information. We made a few changes and booked a little extra, so a number of mails went back and forth. Every time we received a reply within a day or two. Payment was handled online without any kind of problem.

We were met by our driver/guide Peter at the airport, and he took good care of us during the entire safari, until we were back in Nairobi. Peter is an excellent driver and has been in the business for many years. He even helped with a little "white lie" - since I had booked a balloon flight in Masai Mara, that was to be a surprise for my wife. With Peters help it was kept a secret, until we were parked in front of the balloon basket.

On the first day in Kenya, we had chosen to have a day in Nairobi, with visits to Giraffe Center, Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage and Karen Blixen Museum. This was a great start, and it also left time for some relaxation after the flight.

The safari itself was fantastic - the places we visited on the "Samburu Five and Big Five Safari", and the order in which they were visited, is a great experience in our opinion. We saw such different kinds of landscape and the specific animals living there. And of course we saw both the Samburu Five and the Big Five - and apart from seeing them during daytime, we also saw all of the Big Five on one single night game drive (in Ol Pejeta)!! Certainly, the Masai Mara is special, and something you must see - but we wouldn't miss Samburu for anything! In fact, all of the places we went (Aberdare, Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Naivasha and Masai Mara), had their own special values.

The camps/lodges, we stayed at, were all great. And it was like every time we moved to a new place, it added something more to the experience. And ending up at Sarova Camp in Masai Mara was perfect! The tents were fantastic and the food was fabulous!

Carsten Udsen, Denmark
Travel experience in Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Egypt

Allen   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2016 Reviewed: Nov 29, 2016

Email Allen  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Trip of a lifetime
5/5

A trip to Africa is something that people do once in a lifetime. You work, or have worked hard for the money to go and you want to ensure that it meets all your expectations and dreams to date. I researched for three months, fly in fly out, tented camp, luxury accommodation etc. It even got to a stage where I seriously thought about not going on Safari. Then I came across Safari Bookings and Transtrek Safaris. I contacted Daniel from Transtrek, told him what I wanted and did not want from my trip of a lifetime. He came back with a suggested itinerary. We made some adjustments to include Giraffes and Baby Elephants in Nairobi. Peter met us at the Airport and guided us throughout the trip. He went out of his way to ensure we saw what we wanted and more. My only problem I am faced with now is what photos to keep. I would recomend Daniel and his team without hesitation.

Average User Rating
5.0/5
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