Ready for Safari
BuyMore Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- Kenya Association of Tour Operators, Ecotourism Kenya, The International Ecotourism Society, Travelife & Kenya Association of Women in Tourism
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $380 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Kei Takatsuka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsive and great in service!
They can customize the tour as you want and very responsive in timely manner. I highly recommend to book a tour with them!
US
Email Melanie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
From first contact to airport goodbyes, BuyMore Adventures exceeded our Kenyan safari expectations.
It’s taken me several months to write out a review for this remarkable safari operator in Kenya because every time I tried, I would think of something else awesome that should have been included. From first contact to last, BuyMore Adventures exceeded our expectations in every possible way. From the most knowledgeable and accommodating planner, Nadzua, to our incredibly talented guide Kaka, there wasn’t a moment that didn’t exceed my expectations while traveling with BuyMore. Our four day three night private safari was perfectly planned and executed to leave us with the most amazing memories of Kenya that we could possibly ask for.
Traveling with my close friend and her mom in October of 2018, we had a limited amount of time in Kenya and wanted to make the most of it. After travel time and spending a day touring Nairobi, we only had 4 full days and three nights to spend on safari. I researched multiple parks and read through dozens of itineraries before deciding on a trip that included the Masai Mara, Hell’s Gate National Park, and Lake Nakuru. Most operators offered this itinerary with an extra day, combining Hell’s Gate with Lake Navaisha, but it was more difficult to find four day trips with this itinerary, excluding Navaisha. I started to narrow down operators that offered something similar, and I began reaching out to inquire whether a stop at Hell’s Gate en route to Nakuru would be possible. I received several answers and eventually narrowed it down to two operators.
BuyMore Adventures impressed me almost immediately with quick response times, detailed information, and a willingness to plan with me and not for me. I have always planned every last detail of my trips, so it was a new experience to have someone helping me figure out travel times, the best route, and where to stay. I was probably more difficult than most because I like being so involved; however, Nadzua was so patient, informed, and accommodating from the very start. Looking at a map and deciding on destinations is only a small fraction of planning a customized safari in Kenya because as an outsider, I had no idea about travel times and road conditions, which were very important factors when planning the order of the parks we visited. Whenever a new idea popped into my head about where and when we should go, she was always there to give tips on how much time would be needed, if it was feasible, and how best to tweak our trip to match what was in my head.
Throughout planning the trip, Nadzua remained in contact for any questions or concerns throughout. The most memorable part of planning, however, was when I decided I wanted to stay at Ashnil Mara Camp and asked her about prices and whether it was possible. She was accommodating, and I went back to my travel party to check whether they were agreeable to paying a little more for this accommodation on the Mara River. In the time it took me to get back to her, the accommodation had booked up for tour operators, although two tents were still available through booking websites. Instead of pushing me towards one thing or another, Nadzua found me three comparable accommodation options to explore and was also willing to adjust the prices to exclude meals and accommodations for those days if I wanted to book it myself. I was so impressed that she was so open to changing such a huge part of the safari to make sure I got the trip I wanted. I ended up booking through a booking site, and she updated all of the charges but continued to send amazing detailed itineraries to reflect the changes. It really meant so much to me to be able to help plan in that way.
Upon arriving in Nairobi, we were picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel by a BuyMore Adventure driver who was happy to share information about the buildings during our night drive into the city. The next day, Nadzua met us at our hotel in the afternoon to collect our balance, pass out souvenir BuyMore Adventures safari hats, and go over extra details about our trip, which would begin the next day. She was just as kind and helpful in person as she was during our email communication, and it set a wonderful tone for our trip to come.
The next morning after breakfast, we met Kaka, our amazing tour guide who would be (stuck with!) us for the next four days. Kaka was polite, kind, and very knowledgeable from the beginning, but he wasn’t quite as talkative as our somewhat loud group of three. That definitely changed quickly as he got to know us during that initial drive, and we absolutely came to love his dry sense of humor and endless knowledge about absolutely everything. The worst thing about the entire trip was the drive times and rough roads, something our safari company (or any safari company) has no control over, and for that, we were thankful. From the very start, Kaka seemed to know everyone. As we made stops along the way, he was friendly with all of the locals and guides, and it would end up being an invaluable trait as we were on the lookout for wildlife on our various game drives. After a long and bumpy ride, we came to Ashnil Mara where we got checked in while Kaka took a break from the long drive.
After a late lunch and some time to relax, we met back up with Kaka for our first game drive in the Masai Mara, where he spotted a female lion, hippos, giraffes, and crocodiles. As we looped back to leave and watch the sunset, we saw the lion again, this time with an audience of hyenas and other wildlife waiting to eat her leftovers. On the way back, Kaka asked whether we would prefer a very early start with breakfast on the way or if we would like to start after breakfast at the camp. Being difficult, I had to ask when would be the best time to see cheetahs, and being the amazing guide that he is, he abandoned both previous options to make sure we were in the park when cheetahs are most active. I’ve volunteered at a cheetah reserve in the past, but I’d never seen them in the wild, so this was my absolute number one wish; Kaka made it happen. He took care of everything that evening to ensure we had packed lunches, let us know when to meet him, and the next morning we were on our way into the Mara.
The second day in the Masai Mara was absolutely incredible. On top of a variety of antelopes, giraffes, and other animals we’d seen the day before, Kaka found a family of elephants with two babies followed by a group of five male cheetahs that were well known throughout the park. We spent quite a bit of time watching the males resting, grooming, and walking across the plains, and eventually, we chose a spot to eat our breakfast as we watched them walk into the distance. It was absolutely incredible, and I am so thankful Kaka was so willing to change the schedule in order to maximize our chances of seeing cheetahs. On our way back in from our morning drive, we also spotted a female, possibly pregnant, resting under a tree with fewer safari vehicles to contend with. We would venture out again later in the evening, and Kaka found two young male lions on our evening drive before watching the most incredible sunset.
Our third day departing Ashnil Mara was an extremely early morning, made all the more difficult by having gone to sleep rather late. Kaka had arranged for packaged breakfasts for the road, but it was so early that no one ate right away. Our early morning game drive across the park gifted us a beautiful sunrise as well as an early stop to see cape buffalo. It was hard to keep our eyes open that morning until just before we were leaving the park, Kaka got a call over the radio and before we knew it, we were racing across the park to see a leopard that had just been spotted walking back into the brush from a night out hunting. It was the most exciting part of the entire trip, and when we arrived, we were one of only three cars. The leopard walked right up to our car as we sat parked, barely breathing as he walked by. The experience was unforgettable, and we could tell Kaka was also excited because he shared it with several other guides we talked to throughout the day.
Day three was a long drive to accommodate our preferred itinerary, and Kaka asked if we’d like to do the hour boat tour at Navaisha to see hippos. Unfortunately, it started pouring rain minutes after we pulled up, and worried about time, we decided it would be best to skip. It didn’t take long to get to Hell’s Gate, so we were still dealing with rain for our bike ride. In addition to the bad weather, the bikes we rented would not shift gears, making it nearly impossible to make it down the muddy road to the entrance. Kaka handed over guide duties to a ranger who took us into the park to hike and bike past buffalos and other various wildlife. The scenery is stunning, and we were fortunate enough to have a break in the clouds once we actually got in the park. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get out and experience a park on foot, something that isn’t possible at most other parks in Kenya, and I would highly recommend it to others who visit Masai Mara and Nakuru, if not just for the scenery, but also for the opportunity to experience a very different type of safari.
Our bike ride and hike through Hell’s Gate took longer than expected, which meant we had a late start leaving the park and heading to our accommodation near Lake Nakuru. I had fallen in love with a place called Maili Saba Camp, which overlooks the Menengai Crater, and of course, wonderful Nadzua had adjusted our itinerary so that we could stay here. The drive was longer than expected, so we arrived quite late and in the dark, and we were so thankful for Kaka’s resilience and excellent driving skills as we made our way up the crater. The staff were incredibly kind, and they camp’s mission was to help disadvantaged youth develop skills in the tourism industry, so it was an absolute joy to stay here. They even stayed up late to make sure we had dinner upon arrival. Kaka bid us goodnight, and we all agreed that we could get a very late start the next (and last) day.
After an amazing breakfast and tons of pictures with the staff at Maili Saba Camp (and Kaka!) we headed towards Lake Nakuru to find the last of the Big Five that had thus far eluded us: the rhino. Heavy air from the rains the day before gave the park an ethereal feel as we drove in past trees growing up through the water. Our most amazing find of the day was a large male lion that Kaka spotted and let us sit and watch for a large majority of our time in the park. Later, we drove out to see the flamingos which were somewhat far away, but provided a nice backdrop as we ate our packed lunch. We could feel the pressure to find the rhino before we left, and thanks to Kaka, we found a small family of rhinos just before we needed to leave.
After an amazing four day safari, we had to drive back through the Riff Valley to get to Nairobi, where we had planned to eat dinner with Kaka before proceeding to the airport. As Kaka radioed ahead to check driving conditions, we got some unfortunate news: steady rain in and around Nairobi would make travel much slower than usual. Traffic around Nairobi is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and our trip back easily doubled if not tripled in time. We had to forego dinner altogether in order to ensure we had enough time for our flight; the only regret was not having the opportunity to have a memorable last dinner with our incredible guide. When we arrived at the airport, Nadzua called and wanted to make sure everything was OK — she was so incredibly apologetic that we had missed our dinner! If anything, I felt bad that it made everyone at BuyMore so upset because it was absolutely out of their control. We experienced the best of everything on our trip, and we couldn’t have asked for kinder and more amazing people to work with. After lots of hugs and figuring out what other trips we could book with Kaka in the future, we made our way into the airport to fly back home after an absolutely amazing adventure.
I’ve wanted to review BuyMore Adventures for several months now since returning from Kenya, but nothing really seemed to adequately describe the experience we had thanks to this amazing company and our wonderful guide Kaka. I would recommend them to anyone, but especially to anyone who likes to be involved in the planning process. Nadzua was amazing to plan with and Kaka gave us a safari beyond our expectations. The price was more than reasonable considering how much effort they put into customizing our itinerary and finding us the accommodations we wanted. I compared prices with other private safaris with 4x4 vehicles (definitely go with the 4x4!) and BuyMore was very competitive in their pricing while providing better service than anyone else I spoke with. I know that the next time I plan anything where they operate, I’ll be sure to go through BuyMore Adventures and ask for Nadzua and Kaka!
IN
Email Tapan Sarkar | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had the time of our life !
We three friends did the 9 nights Kenya safari from 23rd August 2017. The planning by Nadzua was impeccable and her correspondence prompt and polite. She along with our gude/tracker/driver Issac met us at JKIA Nairobi and we went on our way to Amboseli, Naivasha, Masai Mara and Nakuru (in that order). And what an experience it was - we saw the Big 5 repeatedly, thanks to Issac! This guy is high energy, knowledgeable and tireless. He would sniff out big and small animals where we would have found nothing.
The quintessential Kilimanjaro, Acacia and the Elephants at Amboseli was exactly as seen on TV. During our 2 nights stay, we saw a very large pride of about 25 lions which even the experienced guides and drivers said they had never seen before. Lake Naivasha with its Hippos (some of whom came grazing into the hotel lawns) were a delight to watch (albeit from a distance). Masai was a vast lanscape, teeming with wild life and we were lucky to catch the migration twice and even a zebra/crocodile drama (luckily the zebra escaped). We rounded off the trip with white & black rhinos and flamingoes at Nakuru - perhaps the most idyllic place amongst all that we saw.
The choice of lodges/hotels by Buymore were very good - full board. The choice of food at these places was wide and appetising. All the coordination work done by Nadzua was top class.
Issac (the Masai) is the guy to be with in Mara and some day if were to return or recommend to a friend, it would be him that we would insist upon as guide.
Thanks to both, we had a great time !
LV
Email Alex | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
company you can trust
There is much to write about my wonderful journey: which was organised by Nadzua. But in short - it is well organised. You get for your money a complete package as written in the program. And even more. Incredible experience for a lifetime. This is my fourth time in Kenya and it was the best trip ever.
US
Email Jacqueline A. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BuyMore Adventures was amazing in every respect. We highly recommend them!
We recently returned from the most fantastic, amazing trip to Kenya and cannot recommend BuyMore Adventures highly enough. We would absolutely use their services again.
We are a family of 3, with a 12-year-old boy. We were in Kenya for 18 nights in October and November 2021. We visited 5 parks: Amboseli, two in Samburu, Ol’Pejeta, and Masai Mara. We spent the last several days of the trip on the beach on the Indian Ocean south of Diani.
We are used to independent travel, without a guide or tour operator. But given what we read about seeing animals in the Kenyan parks, we decided we needed a safari company. We sent out at least 25 emails to different safari operators asking about itineraries and costs for our dates. In general, we received canned and generic responses, and high price quotes. But one reply stood out -- from Nadzua, the owner of BuyMore Adventures. Nadzua gave us a completely customized itinerary and a significantly better price.
Over months of trip planning Nadzua patiently answered all our questions and made the dozens of changes to our safari that we requested. In many cases, she told us why she thought we should do things one way as opposed to another, and she was always right, as we saw during our trip. She did things like watching airfare sales for flights within Kenya, which enabled to fly between certain camps saving us many hours on the road! She ensured the availability of vegan and vegetarian food at each lodge for our family. We were very specific that we wanted a 4x4 Toyota Landcruiser with a pop-up top as opposed to a van, and she made sure we had that. She was flexible, friendly, highly responsive and organized. And infinitely patient with us. We cannot express how appreciative we are of Nadzua’s care in planning our safari.
When we landed in Nairobi, Nadzua met us, along with our driver Charles, and the 4x4 Landcruiser safari rig, which had lots of room for us. The Landcruiser was very comfortable and spacious. Charles, our driver for the safari, was simply outstanding, in every respect. He has 18 years of experience, has worked with National Geographic film crews and with conservation programs. He knew the parks inside out and backward. He spoke perfect English (plus 3 or 4 other languages), was easy to understand and knew amazing facts about every tree, bird and animal we saw. He cultivated friendships with other drivers and coordinated with them by radio to find the animals. So we saw EVERYTHING! He kept saying we were “lucky”, but I think we owe it to his deep knowledge and incredible tracking and spotting skills.
Charles was so very kind to our 12-year-old boy and kept him involved in spotting, tracking and learning about the animals. He taught us much about Kenya, his tribe, the customs, and his languages. We spent many hours and many days together and we will never forget his smile, his knowledge, his friendliness, and love of Kenya! He appreciated teaching and guiding us, but he also appreciated silence and let us take in the wonder of Africa and the animals. He arranged for us to have amazing experiences every single day. He frequently would extend our game drives so that we were able to spend extra time in the parks. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have had Charles as a safari guide.
Charles and Nadzua stayed in contact throughout our trip and were always doing little things to make our trip better. For example, arranging to have box lunches when our plane landed so we could go directly into the park instead of to the lodge first. And, one night Nadzua arranged to upgrade us to a very high end lodge in a beautiful private conservancy where there were fewer people. There were many examples like that throughout our trip.
BuyMore Adventures was absolutely excellent, simply top-notch. Nadzua and Charles gave us the very best combination of personal service, a custom itinerary, all at a very fair price. At the end of the trip, when we flew home, we all felt as if BuyMore had given us the trip of a lifetime. You can reach Nadzua with this email: info@buymoreadventures.com and you can reach Charles via Whatsapp - +254 722 781182.
US
Email William Boggess | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Robert was a wonderful guide!
Robert got us up close an personal with many animals, including lions, cheetah and elephants. He was very personable and we got to know him as a person, not just a tour guide.
At the end of our journey our daughter had an issue with her Covid test and he went out of his way to ensure that we get everything squared away and were safely on our way home.
I would definitely do another safari with Robert as our guide.
CH
Email Dominique | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Safari holiday
Communication with Nadzua for the booking
+ fast responding
+ answered all our questions satisfying
+ provided very good overview of the offered tour
Driver-Guide Kennedy
+ funny bone
+ on time
+ skipped a breakfast for us to watch a lion hunt
- communication with him sometimes difficult
US
Email Linda & Stan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top Notch Service & an Amazing Experience
Nadzua, our tour operator representative at Buy More, provided exceptional and personalized customer service as she was instrumental in organizing our incredible 19 day safari tour through Kenya quickly and efficiently. She took the time in expeditiously answering all our questions, addressing any and all concerns and accommodating all our requests. Changes were made along the way but only to better our experience which was already great!
We have done safaris in the past and have traveled all over the world but she is by far the best tour operator representative we ever had!!
We were in touch with her the whole time we were on safari and she was eager to receive feedback on accommodations, meals, itinerary guiding services, etc.
BuyMore is very competitive and provides value for money spent. We stayed in wonderful places throughout Kenya and the food was great.
Due to the long safari we booked during high season, we had two drivers for different parts of the road trip. We had some concerns about changing drivers and potential time lost but Nadzua was instrumental in organizing this so that the changing drivers was absolutely smooth and seamless. For most of the trip especially in Masai Mara we had the driver-guide Charles who was an unbelievable wildlife spotter. When there was a predator chase (cheetah, lion and wild dogs), he was instrumental in figuring out which direction the predator and prey were moving in and how best to get there and position the vehicle to take the best photos! Truly a wildlife photographer's guide! He was also very knowledgeable about animals, the local cultures, the 43 different tribes, the country history, etc. We enjoy watching wildlife behavior, not just taking picture and Charles was very accommodating in meeting our needs. We did have an incredibly memorable trip.
We would highly recommend using BuyMore Adventurers for a Kenya safari. We would not hesitate in using them again in future. If you have any questions about our experience that we have not already addressed here, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be glad to share.
NL
Email Jorrit & Berber | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari with BuyMore Adventures
We had a wonderful safari with BuyMore Adventures. Everything was perfectly organized. Nadzua is very helpful and flexible in planning the journey. Charles was our driver and is also an excellent guide. He knows a lot about Kenya, the parks we've vistited and the animals who live there. He had good ideas about how to make the most of our safari.
Although we travelled during the raining season, we had a fantastic 10 days. The weather was good (only some small showers) and only a few other tourists in the park and accommodations.
US
Email Amy Baker | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!
I traveled in May with my sons to Kenya. We have wanted to do this for years and we're so lucky to have had BuyMore Adventures and Nadzua as our tour operator. The experience from the very beginning while I was planning with Nadzua (well over 30 emails!) was wonderful. All of my questions answered in detail and my concerns addressed. Then the trip...JUST AMAZING!!! We started in Amboseli and then went on to Masai Mara, finishing in Nairobi. We saw hundreds of elephants in Amboseli and in Masai Mara saw Lions, Cheetahs, Buffalo, Giraffes, Elephants, Zebras, Warthogs, Hyenas...everything you can imagine. Our guide Enock was very sweet and knowledgeable...he explained the seasons and showed us where many of the animals were, he also stopped and pointed out so many birds, he knew their names and little interesting facts about them.
We also spent a little bit of time with Charles who was very happy to discuss in detail the history of the area and politics.
From beginning to end this was a once in a lifetime experience!!!
I hope to go back one day and I will ABSOLUTELY go through BuyMore! Thank you Nadzua!!!
