AMS Directors and Tour Guides
Amazing Memories Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO, AMREF & Eco Tourism
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Amazing Safari has provided seamless services for our first safari adventure in Kenya and Tanzania,
Amazing Safari has provided seamless services for our first safari adventure in Kenya and Tanzania, and a relaxing holiday in Zanzibar. From quotation throughout the end of the trip, they are responsive and reliable.
We were also happy with the two safari drivers who were both nice and very experienced.
The selection of hotels was perfect. Each of the hotels was unique and with characteristics.
We would recommend Amazing Safari to everyone who is planning for their Safari trip!
JP
Email Al S | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Kenya safari
My girlfriend and I had an amazing experience with Amazing Memories.
We went for an 8-day safari in Kenya, staying in upper range camps and hotels.
From the beginning, our contact Anne was very responsive, tailoring our trip according to our requests. She was waiting at Nairobi airport when we arrived, and gave us a good welcome to Kenya.
The price was reasonable considering the quality of the accommodation, and we stayed in a mix of camps and hotels. Every place we stayed was excellent, going from Amboseli to The Ark in Aberdares, then Lake Nakuru, then the Masai Mara.
Each place was very good, but The Ark was interesting - a hotel right in front of a water hole where you can watch the animals come in style - and Mara Serena in Masai Mara was truly excellent, with breathtaking views.
Our driver Joseph was great, very knowledgeable about the wildlife and friendly and talkative. Thanks to him we knew all the best places to see the animals, and we saw the big 5 and cheetahs and everything else!
We highly recommend Amazing Memories Safaris.
IT
Email Ferdinando | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic 7 days Tanzania safari
I contacted Amazing Memories Safaris encouraged by the extremely positive reviews found on Safari Bookings: they were truthful, since, from the very beginning, Anne gave me a great help to arrange cleverly a 7-days safari that included Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara National Parks.
She promptly answered to all my questions in a very professional way, giving me several alternative options where choosing the accommodation from. That’s how we experienced from the basic tented camp to the luxury lodge.
Our guide Donald was really a skilled person: using the radio and exchanging information with his fellow drivers, he always succeeded in taking us in the right place at the right time: in Ngorongoro crater, for example, we ran into a rhino that crossed the track just behind our jeep!.
I can recommend Amazing Memories thanks to my positive experience.
CA
Email Charlie C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari, Amazing Safari Provider!
Family Safari from July 16th to September 2nd, 2017.
For my wife and I, this was our second safari. This trip, we brought along our daughter (16) and son (12) to see the splendor for themselves. Our vacation consisted of an 8-night deluxe safari with a 5-night beach getaway.
Our quest to find our safari provider began with many hours of reading reviews and visiting sites like “Safari Bookings” and “Trip Advisor”. After corresponding with several companies (and clients) we ultimately selected Amazing Memories Safaris (A.M.S) for the following reasons...
1-Our correspondence was directly with Co-owner Anne. Anne was professional, informative, and articulate. She was quick to respond to all our question and requests even though we had a 7-hour time-zone difference.
2- We are firm believers of doing business with smaller/family run businesses without having to compromise quality of course. Amazing Memories is exactly that. A family-run company whose focus and attention to detail was undiluted. We wanted to be a customer NOT a number.
3-Price!!! From the get-go, Anne was very forward in stating that she would not be undersold. After comparing all quotes, she was true to her word.
Our Trip-
Upon our arrival in Nairobi, we were astonished by our airport reception. Co-owners Anne, Joseph and driver Kennedy met us with huge smiles, warm hugs, embroidered safari hats and beautiful bouquets of flowers! They quickly shuttled us to the EKA Hotel where we had a late supper but not before they treated us to a ceremonial “Welcome Toast” (another a nice touch, one of so many).
On safari, we flew several legs and drove the balance in a 4x4 Toyota van equipped with beefy off-road tires. Our drivers Kennedy and Joseph were very capable of getting us through every obstacle that came our way. We did not opt for the Landcruiser. Having had experience with both type of vehicles, the van had a smoother ride and plenty of space for the 4 of us. Ultimately, this was a great savings to our overall expenses.
Our safari took us to the following places…
Serena Amboseli Lodge
Excellent hotel! The rooms are a little dated but the excellent location and service more than make up! Plenty of animals with the iconic Kilimanjaro as our backdrop. Gorgeous!
Sweetwaters Serena Camp in Ol Pejeta
Amazing Camp!!! The Rino Sanctuary and the Chimpanzee exhibit make this park a one-of-a kind place. We were surprised by the amount of game animals in this conservancy as well. Would highly recommend this reserve AND Sweetwaters Serena Camp (especially with kids)!
Enashipai Lodge in Lake Naivasha
This hotel disappointed. The actual hotel was quite beautiful however, the overall experience was terrible. This hotel didn’t have that friendly vibe that we’d come to know in almost every other Kenyan hotel. The dining service was lousy. The worst part about our stay there was crazy person protesting on a loudspeaker at 5 AM (no joke). This person who the staff later referred to as “the Preacher” was a commonplace occurrence and “beyond their control”. It was terrifying and unsettling to say the least. I would never recommend this hotel unless this was addressed.
Mara Serena Lodge
Excellent hotel!! The crown jewel of Mara lodges. The rooms are little small but this was trivial because the Serena is the best location in the Mara, especially during the Great Migration. We saw all the big five and a legendary wildebeest crossing. We also did the Balloon safari which always concludes with a Champagne Bush breakfast. On our final evening, Amazing Memories Safaris treated us to a surprise a private VIP Bush dinner. That night is something that we soon will not forget.
Beach stay at Diani Beach - Swahili Beach Resort.
This resort is surreal. It’s Swahili architecture was like something out of a fairytale (striking). Everything about this hotel was top-notch. The only thing that would be a problem for some was the actual beach. Water access during low tide was almost impossible without shoes. We made the best of it especially because we love exploring tide-pools.
All-in-all, this holiday was truly a trip of a lifetime. Anyone considering a safari, should take a moment to get to know Anne and her staff at Amazing Memories Safari Co. It’s not easy to put blind faith (…and a lot of money) in the hands of a complete strangers that are a world away. We did it with A.M.S and have no regrets.
Call them, you will not be disappointed.
On a more personal note, Anne, and co-owner Joseph, along with the rest of the staff quickly became like family. Our safari-driver’s Kennedy and Joseph both ensured our comfort and safety on our voyages. I would also like include a “third” Joseph (from the Nairobi head-office) into this mix. Although we did not spend enough time together, he too was a very enduring person who helped us during a particularly difficult moment. Thank you ALL! You found a way into our hearts and we miss you very much!!!
Suggestions for future visit...
-If traveling from North America "with" a stopover- (unless the stop is short), I would strongly suggest staying a day or two in your stop over city especially on the return voyage.
-In July-August, do not underestimate the cold temperatures in the evening and mornings especially in the higher elevations
Email Babs Naidoo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazying Start to End Safari
Amazing Memories Safaris made this trip to Kenya more than just a holiday, from the start when contacting Anne to the end being met by Anne as we departed Kenya, the engagement and interaction was off the highest standard we have experienced . Anne was " on the ball" reacting to every email and phone call whenever we had questions or requirements. Daniel our guide was incredible making sure we did not miss an opportunity during the safaris even if he had to travel long distances especially in the Mara. The choice of camps was fantastic, especially Entim in the Mara. We experienced 3 migration crossings from the camp. Amazing Memories are more than just a tour company they become friends. Looking forward to using them again- Babs Naidoo, South Africa
HK
Email Vicki | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly memorable and amazing experience!
This was our first safari experience, and will certainly not be the last. We were very well looked after and did not have to worry about anything. Anne was extremely helpful and reliable during the process of finalising the details of our itinerary. We got to visit amazing places and the scenery were stunning!
We would highly recommend Amazing Memories Safaris!
US
Email Jessica H | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 day safari, everything was amazing!
Where to start? Working with Anne the months leading up to our trip gave me confidence, knowing that we would be well taken care of upon arrival. Anne answered every question, e-mail, promptly and kindly. Anne was able to create an individualized safari trip for my husband and I, within our budget, meeting all of our needs. She was flexible and sweet, and gave us different options.
Upon arriving In Nairobi, we were warmly greeted by Anne and our driver, Joseph who would accompany us for the 5 day safari. They were right outside waiting for us with a sign. No need to worry about taxis or shuttles. They took us right to our first hotel to rest.
The first night we got a great night sleep, and the next morning we woke up and met Joseph waiting for us in the lobby. We had breakfast and began our drive to Tsavo West. We were happy to have the van to ourselves,( we opted for a private safari) as we mostly slept during the drive.
The following 4 days we made some of the best memories of my life. I have traveled all over the world, and my husband and I both agree this trip has been our favorite so far.
The views, the animals, the fresh air blowing through as you drive through the parks, it will be hard to beat.
Our driver was amazing. I was a tiny worried, seeing as how we knew whoever we had we would have with us for the whole time. We got so lucky! Joseph was amazing! He was so knowledgable and seemed so passionate, he knew all the best spots to go, was willing to get up and go before everyone else. (We were up and out every morning at 6:30, which I reccomend doing, it is great to see the sunrise.) He greeted us every morning with a smile, despite all the driving he had done the day before. He made our trip even more wonderful. We stayed at Voi Safari Lodge, the watering hole there was amazing to watch elephants and zebras in the evening, we stayed at Kilaguini Serena Safari Lodge, which was by far the nicest resort, the watering hole there was also super active, with a beautiful view, the landscape in Tsavo East is stunning, we saw many giraffes and zebras, but no big cats. It is a bit difficult to spot animals in this park due to all the bushes and shrubs. But it offers amazing views and sunsets!!! The last two nights we stayed in Amboseli Serena Lodge, which was also beautiful. Lots of monkies everywhere! Amboseli was where we probably saw the widest range of animals. But some were more at a distance. Amazing diversity, and we saw many herds. We also saw cheetahs and lions up close. Many elephants, hippos, cape buffalo, hyennas, impala, etc. Beautiful park.
Thank you so so much to Anne and Joseph and everyone at Amazing Memories Safaris for doing everything to make our dream safari come true! It was beautiful. I can't say enough good things about this company.
***The following is something we looked into on our own.. but it is available. Please know that this was something We chose to do*** But I think it's good for others to consider.**
We did tour a Maasai village. (I wanted to try it, it wasn't pushed on us or anything, I asked about it) mixed feelings on this. It was cool to see, but they will try to milk you for any amount of money they can. We had to pay $30 pp to enter, and then throughout the "tour" they kept asking for donations, for the school and for water. The dances were cool, but you could tell it was more just a show. We went inside one of the houses, it was pitch black so you couldn't see much but it was cool to see how it was built. Then they took us to see the children. It was a bit uncomfortable from there. The kids put on a song and dance for you, then do some basic English songs and stuff, it felt a bit theatrical and uncomfortable. After is when he started asking for donations for the children for school. None of it felt very authentic. The last hoo-rah was when they paraded us around in a semi-circle where all of the women and families had their things to sell. Jewlery and such. Each and every family begged you to buy stuff from them. Then the man who was showing us around made us feel especially compelled to buy from his family. This was by far my least favorite part. I felt so uncomfortable. I was interested in buying necklaces, but being guilted into it and having everyone watching was not cool. Also they don't tell prices until the end. I said I had enough, but he said I should visit each family to be respectful. So I went through, saying no to all the other families. At the end it was a lot of negotiating on prices. Overall, I think I would say skip this. If you want to donate, it certainly would be put to good use, and by all means they are in need, but if you are looking for an authentic experience and interaction, this probably isn't it, they are very accoustumed to tourists. If you do go, don't bring a lot of cash. Once they see it, they will keep asking for "donations". Also beware of alarming number of flies.
PT
Email Ines | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was really amazing!
From the very 1st email Anne was quick to respond, very professional and very patient about our million questions!
I am so glad I contacted Amazing Memories directly instead of relying on portuguese tour operators to organize everything for us. Not only was it much cheaper, but it was easy, simple, quick and very professional. I will definetly rely on Anne again if I return to Kenya and will recomend Amazing Memories to anyone wanting a fun packed, safe and adventurous safari.
The safari itself exceeded our expectations and it was truly an experience to remember. Daniel, our guide in Kenya, was great, making sure we saw all the animals including the big five. We were very lucky as we were able to see the rhinos on our 1st day at Nakura, because after that they were nowhere to be seen! He always chose the routes that had hardly any other cars which was great, as it felt like we had Masai Mara all to ourselves. In the end I think he was a little bit frustrated that he couldn’t find us a leopard, but the pride of lions eating the zebra for breakfast was a big plus!
Lawrence, our guide in Tanzania was absolutely excelente at spoting the animals. What an eye! And not only did he manage to show us a leopard, he managed to show us two The big five was finally complete! Serengueti is truly beautiful but Ngorongoro blew my breath away. If you can, don’t miss this place.
All the tented camps that Anne sugested were pretty great and exactly what we were looking for. We loved Ikoma Tented Camp as it felt like we were lost in the middle of the savana, and Amboseli Kibo Safari Camp for the beautiful views of the Kilimanjaro.
There were only 2 things that we didn’t really like: the Lake Naivasha tour didn’t feel very safe and our boat driver/guide had no regard for the animals as he drove the boat into the middle of the pelicans and other birds so as to force them to fly. Apparently it made for good photos… And whistling for the eagle to come took all the magic away. It’s suposed to be a natural park, minimum human interference, not a show in a zoo. The other thing was the souvenir shops Daniel took us to as the prices they practice are absolutely ridiculous! Even after bargaining the prices into half, the souvenir shops at the tented camps were still cheaper.
TIP: If you are covering A LOT of kilometers like we did, I suggest you pay the extra cash and request a Jeep for the whole trip instead of the minivan. We didn’t do it and we regreted it. It’s much more comfortable.
US
Email Morris Mwaniki | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best experience ever
Their service was amazing and James the driver was really nice, my little son always talked about him.
I would highly recommend Amazing Memories Safaris
CA
Email Vivian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly a safari filled with amazing memories! :)
We booked with Anne and the Amazing Memories Safaris team for our Kenya honeymoon in June 2017 for a group of 4 (joined by my sister and her spouse). As their name says, it was the most amazing experience we've ever had! Our driver and guide for most of the trip was Joseph, who was so friendly and fun and extremely knowledgeable. If we ever go back (which we want to do!) we want him to be our guide again for sure! We also had a special interest in birds and he knew and showed us so much.
Anne was prompt, professional, and very lovely to correspond with from the very beginning. She helped to tailor our experience to exactly the way we wanted it (we had a shorter time frame then the suggested itinerary and also wanted to make sure we had some beach time at the end). We had looked at 5 different companies through safaribookings.com in total, narrowed it down to 2, and ended up going with Anne due both to our interactions with her and the best quote we received.
We had some troubles getting our money wire through when making our initial deposit (this was not their fault at all, more so on our bank's end), but she stayed calm and was on top of it and everything worked out in the end.
Meet and greet went smoothly. The Eka hotel in Nairobi that we stayed in the first night was excellent - we appreciated the honeymoon touches (a bottle of wine, and flower petals everywhere!) they added. We had time our first day there, and ate lunch at the Carnivore buffet (not recommended to do after a long flight... none of us were able to eat much, and to be honest, other than the novelty of trying ostrich and crocodile, the rest of the meats were similar to steakhouses we have at home in Canada). We then visited the giraffe centre - highly recommended! - you get to feed the giraffes, learn more about them, and see them up close. Finally, we visited the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage in the evening (to do this, you must foster an elephant), which was lovely. They tell you about the amazing work that they do, and then you get to visit each of the baby elephants while they're feeding, a giraffe, and their one resident rhino Maxwell.
In Maasai Mara, we chose to stay (through a friend's recommendation) at the Little Governor's Camp for two nights, which was a bit more expensive than the lodge Anne had suggested, but totally worth it. Beautiful spot, excellent food, and very friendly staff. The security guards walk you to your tent at night and we felt very safe. We opted for the hot air balloon ride which again was more expensive but worth it! Absolutely breathtaking to ride over the river at sunrise. They take you for breakfast in the fields which was good and so fun - the crepes were amazing. The game drive back with our driver Jeffrey was also excellent. Our other game drives at the camp were with Moses who took us to see lots. The only animal we missed seeing was the leopard. We saw lions, wildebeest, buffalo, elephants, zebras, baboons, giraffes, different antelope, and 1 black rhino from afar. We did not see much of the wildebeest migration given the time of year we visited.
We then had a 7 hour drive to Lake Nakuru and stayed at the Sarova lodge. Loved this lodge. Good food, and a fantastic guitarist who plays at your table at dinner. The cultural dances in the evening were enjoyable. We were only here for one night. We were hoping to see lots of flamingos, and while we did see some they were quite far away. We did see 3 white rhinos here which was quite nice. In restrospect, given we only had 1 night and enjoyed the other two reserves more, we would have skipped Lake Nakuru given how long the drive was in between, and stayed an extra night in Maasai Mara.
After that, we had a 7 hour drive to Amboseli, at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was so interesting to see the different landscapes at each reserve. Amboseli has lots of swamps, so very different mix of wildlife. We saw lots of elephants, vultures drying their wings out, hyenas feeding, lions feeding, a good number of lions, cheetahs from afar, zebra, wildebeest, different antelope, giraffes, and lots of monkeys (many around the lodge!). We stayed at the Serena lodge which was also quite nice. Food was decent, a bit less selection then the other places we stayed at (but still plenty). The crepes the make are amazing!
Finally, due to traffic, it was a 9 hour drive to Mombasa. We stayed at the Serena resort. When we got there we did not have ocean front rooms as we had requested. The lady at the front desk was able to change this for us and we waited over an hour for them to get the rooms ready. It did turn out in the end that Anne had booked the standard rooms, but it worked out. Unfortunately, we did not actually spend time on the beach itself - there were not many people swimming, there was lots of seaweed close to the shore, and many people trying to sell items / outings that interfered with our experience. It was otherwise beautiful to look at. We did spend time at the pool and enjoyed our pizza lunch there. We also went for wonderful massages at the spa and played table tennis. However, since we were unable to actually have beach time, I would not return here. Instead, I would have done more days of safari, and simply utilized the pools available at each of the lodges.
In terms of weather/clothing: Weather was mostly warm in June (their winter - equivalent to Canada's summer in June!), with 1 day with some mild rainfall, and somewhat cooler in the mornings so thin long pants at that time were helpful (however, you could still wear shorts and be very comfortable). Found myself wearing long sleeved shirts mostly to cover up from the sun and dust (it's very dusty on game drives!). Also be aware that some of the roads are quite poor and bumpy.
Also to note - at souvenir shops (stopped by for bathroom breaks during long drives), be prepared to bargain! We actually ended up paying more at the first shop on our way to Maasai Mara from Nairobi at the lookout point for stone animals than we did at the hotel lodges gift shops, which was a bummer (this was despite bargaining down as hard as we could).
Not related to this review so much, but I thought I would mention - we flew with Ethiopian Airlines from Canada, and while the trip there went smoothly, the trip back was hectic and poor. The attendants on the airline overall were fine, the food was not great but they do attempt to feed you a lot which we appreciated. On our way back, because we were stopping to Addis Ababa and then had a very short layover in London, we wanted to get our boarding passes in advance in Nairobi. When in Nairobi, the airline rep who was supposed to check us in was very rude (he was upset that all 4 of us who were traveling together were checking in together - not sure how it could have been faster if we split up? He kept smirking at us and continually mentioning it). He told us that he was unable to give us boarding passes for the layover in London, but that he checked us in. When we got to Addis Ababa, they were only able to print out 3 of 4 boarding passes for us. It was such mayhem at that airport - one customer service rep for a LOT of people - people kept budding in trying to get help, and the lady was clearly overworked. They also clearly did not have enough people covering the security check and also had several flights delayed and then chaos trying to get people on to their planes. It was an experience, and we will definitely not be traveling anywhere that requires us to stop over here again. When we got to London, there was a lot of running involved and when we found out we in fact had NOT been checked in by the rude rep in Nairobi. Luckily - it all worked out - almost missed our flight but did not, and got home safe with Air Canada.
In summary: Anne, Joseph, and Amazing Memories Safaris was truly amazing all the way through and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience. We hope to book with you again in the future!