THE A TEAM
Axis Africa Expedition & Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $280 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Marina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Helpful, friendly and profesional
It was a good xperiencie. Nice acomodations, good food and very confortable places.
The guide Edwin was a good guide he told us good explanations about the animals and answer all of our questions.
Lennox help me in all I had needed.
Very profesional!
TN
Email Hiba | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience with our guide Dennis
We did a six-day safari tour with Dennis as our guide:
Days 1 - 3 we were in Masai Mara, staying at Mara Lenchada camp.
Day 4 we went to Lake Nakuru, staying at Lanet Matfam Resort
Days 5 and 6 were spent in Amboselli national park. As there weren't enough people interested in this portion of the tour, it ended up being a private safari. We stayed in Amboselli AA lodge.
Planning and communication with Lennox by e-mail and Whatsapp were smooth and timely. We booked at the last minute, but it was reassuring that Lennox was highly responsive to our questions, requests for modification, and concerns.
We arrived in Nairobi and although we had planned to take an Uber to the tour meeting place (far more affordable), Lennox insisted that we go with his driver who would avoid the congested main airport road. He promised that we can pay the same price that we saw on Uber; however, upon arrival, the airport driver demanded far more - $25 USD - which is definitely overpriced. If you do some straight from the airport, I definitely recommend using Uber or Bolt, which are closer to $11 or $13 USD.
Now for the safari itself. Although our original safari was supposed to be in a van, Lennox informed us on the day of that he gave us a free upgrade to a Land Cruiser. Even if you don't get a free upgrade, having seen both vehicles I DEFINITELY recommend going for a Land Cruiser. The experience would be completely different as you can really go offroad and see more animals that way. We were very glad that we ended up in the 4x4.
Dennis, our guide throughout the six days was knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, and eagle-eyed with the animal sightings. He ensured that we saw the "big 5", and also listened to our requests for specific animals that we were hoping to see. We got lucky to see some cheetahs playing with a gazelle before eating it, birds feeding on an animal, a sleeping leopard, and other cool sightings. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a migration across the Mara River even though this is supposed to be the season for it. Dennis informed us that the migrations don't happen every day; they can occur sporadically at unknown times, and it is hard to anticipate them. We found out that there was a big migration the day after we left Maasai Mara.
On the way to Lake Nakuru, we had a quick stop at Lake Naivasha, where we did the "boat safari" to Crescent island at extra cost ($20 per person). This was totally worth it, as we got to see more hippos up close at Naivasha, along with so many birds and other wildlife.
Lake Nakuru National Park is beautiful. The landscape is lush and varied, and we had a long morning game drive there, which still felt far too short. We missed the rhinos in Maasai Mara, but we did see one here. If you have the time, I really recommend spending a full day in Nakuru. It's totally worth it.
Amboselli Park was also so nice. During our full day there, it was too cloudy to see Kilimanjaro. However, we got to see plenty of elephants and giraffes, along with various other wildlife. Lunch at observation hill was lovely. The following morning we set out for a sunrise game drive, which was totally worth it, as we caught a glimpse of Kilimanjaro during the brief half hour when the sky cleared up, and we got to see a family of lions feasting on a wildebeest. It was an incredible sighting, and one only possible in the early morning I would imagine.
Now some notes about the planning of the safari:
1. The "3 days in Maasai Mara" thing is misleading. The first day is spent nearly entirely on the road. There is time for a two-hour game drive in the evening, but given the vastness of the reserve, this meant that we couldn't go too far in, and didn't get a chance to see much. Likewise for the third day, where we just had two hours in the reserve in the early morning before hitting the road to Lake Nakuru. One full day in Maasai Mara was nice in that we saw a lot; however, because our accommodation was so far, we didn't have time to make it to the Mara Triangle, which is arguably THE place to be during migration season. In fact, we spent very little time by the river. I recommend that you emphasize this as a priority from the start.
2. Mara Lenchada camp was very basic. Our tent didn't have hot water at first; after we reported it to management, they fixed it and instead we got brown murky hot water. The tents were clean, food was acceptable, and there was enough time with electricity running for us to charge our devices. However, it is about 20 minutes away from Maasai Mara gate, and the road is absolutely terrible in between. Be prepared for a very, very bumpty ride
3. Lanet Matfam was an adequate resort. They did not inform us of this ahead of time, but they cut the electricity at 9pm, so ensure you charge your devices beforehand. The food wasn't too bad, and they did have hot water; however, I am not sure how safe it is. When I had the shower running, I felt electric shocks every time I tried turning the faucets. In the end I used a towel to turn them on and off. Be careful. Also, there were far more mosquitos here than in Maasai Mara.
4. AA Amboselli Lodge was very nice. It is close to Amboselli gate, the rooms are spacious, clean and very comfortable, and the food is varied and delicious. This accommodation was midrange and we thought it was excellent value for money. We had a great time here.
Overall, the safari was good value for money. Communication and service were excellent, nearly everything went as originally planned, and the guide made it all worth it. I highly recommend Axis (and definitely Dennis) if you're looking for a budget tour and want to maximize your safari experience!
CA
Email Alex | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Budget Safari
We chose a 5 day safari that included Masai Mara, Lake Navisha and Amboseli and opted to extend to 6 days. A few things to keep in mind when booking your own safari 1. The mini vans used for the safari are not the most comfortable and 2 people out of a possible 8 will NOT have window seats (but will have access to the roof). 2. They are not four wheel drive so if there is a lot of mud you WILL get stuck. 3. There is a lot of driving between parks (4-6 hours depending on where you go).
Our guide Albert was great. He took into consideration what everyone in our group wanted to see and paid very close attention to the radio to make sure that we didn't miss anything. He was also a fantastic driver.
Our accommodations were a mixed bag. Lenchada Tourist camp has a baboon problem and several tents have holes in them where the monkeys sneak into during the day. The food and staff there were great though.
We also stayed at Navisha Resort, which was fantastic. We were able to take a boat to crescent island and walk around with the animals. Definitely a MUST do if you are tired of sitting in a car. In Amboseli we stayed at Kibo lodge which was a luxury camp site just on the boarder of the park. Gift shop was over priced and we had the worst bloody mary from the bar- but everything else was fantastic and the perfect place to end our adventure.
Over all, very good value for the money, well worth it.
Email Sharon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent...,an experience that would wish once more ,motivating and aspiring to majorities. Fantast
Convincing, welcoming, educative and also supportive in any way out...a great pleasure
Email Colin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic service and safari from start to finish
Communication, service, guide, help, could not have been better, fantastic!
Overall safari experience including guide could not be beaten, fantastic.
The only let down was one nights accomodation was below par, but then I did chose budget, I would book it again
IN
Email Priyanka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable and peaceful
good accommodations, better arrangement and the best guide. Edwin and Mike as driver and guide are blindly the best. They will make sure that you forget little glitches and go back with a broad smile.
IT
Email Sera | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good value for money with friendly service!
The driver was very friendly and spoke English perfectly. We stayed at a budget campsite (Lenchada camp) which was booked through Axis Safari and it was very clean and food was tasty. The package included 3 meals a day and accommodation and transportation. We chose to pay for the park entrance ourselves.
The driver knew perfectly how to navigate around the mara and we were following other cars so we got to see most of the big 5. Unfortunately, our driver chose to turn off the radio which connects us to the other cards in the afternoon so we missed to see Rhinos which other cars got to see. So make sure your driver doesn't turn off the radio. He showed us beautiful scenery and we got to see a very nice sunrise. Other than that, the trip was very interesting and pleasant and an experience of a lifetime.
Please make sure your driver doesn't crowd the animals. You will see many cards surrounding the animals and not giving them their space. I think a safari experience is very unique but we shouldn't abuse and make the animals uncomfortable by spending extra time watching them and following them than necessary.
AE
Email Shruthi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mara-Naivasha-Nakuru- Amboseli 6 day trip in August 2018
We came across Axis Africa through Safaribookings.com while browsing through different tour operators and went with them based on the quality of interactions we had with Lennox. This was our first trip to Africa and wildlife viewing was the main purpose and view them we did and how!
Lennox was able to tend to all our queries before the trip and organised our pick up/drop off without any hassles and coordinated with us wherever needed. He was prompt in all his interactions.
We had asked for Kikitu or Issac as our guides since they both had great reviews from visitors who wrote here. Lennox mentioned that he will try to arrange for them or even otherwise, assign us a good one as they are all experienced. Although we didn't get our requested guides, we were very happy with James, the gentleman who was assigned to our group of 8.
We had James as our driver and guide for all the 6 days. He was cheerful, professional, knowledgeable, polite, patient and gracious. We had a great time with him and were so fortunate to have sighted all the Big 5 on Day 2 of our Safari in Masai Mara. He informed us about the species, their gestation period, the number of young ones born with each gestation, hunting skills, any distinctive identification for that particular mammal etc.
Our guide gets a 5-star rating for his demeanour and efforts.
All our accommodations were catered to according to what was described in the itinerary. Lenchada camp was a rustic and comfortable stay. We had asked for a vegetarian diet for our entire trip and we always had vegetarian options to meet our requirements. Although I would suggest that they mark all the vegetarian dishes with an identifying label so there is no miscommunication.
The crescent Island boat ride via Naivasha gave us an opportunity to view some beautiful birds. The guide who took us out on boating was not very forthcoming with information about the birds and we had to keep asking him questions for him to engage with us or be audible. He could have generated far more interest from us for the birding in the time frame available but perhaps his approach was too laid back for our needs/expectation.
The accommodation in Nakuru was a fairly decent one as well. We were only there for 1 night and the next day saw some beautiful white rhinos, flamingoes, bison and birds at the Nakuru national park.
Our trip to Amboseli was quite long due to narrow roads which are shared with heavy-duty vehicles and the traffic is unpredictable. We could not do the safari on the evening of reaching Amboseli as we reached quite late. So it was the Nakuru NP morning safari and the rest of the day was occupied with travel.
We were supposed to stay at Kimana budget camp as per our itinerary in Amboseli. Although we had checked their website to look at their facilities, we saw their TripAdvisor reviews only when we were en route to Amboseli. We were quite trepid about the reviews and spoke to Lennox and mentioned that we would like him to consider a decent budget accommodation in case this one turns out to be unappealing. We were happy to go with budget camps as long as they are hygienic/clean and have functioning basic utilities. The reviews we read sort of told us that this may be difficult to find at Kimana.
We reached the accommodation and the only room available had a broken toilet seat and a flush that was hard to use, shower which was leaking water which could be heard throughout the room and the room was quite rundown. We had to express our dissatisfaction that there was no due diligence done with regards to accommodation in Amboseli and we were informed by Lennox that the other options at the last minute would cost us extra as Kimana camp will not refund (the amount quoted for a room is ridiculous considering how rundown the place is) Axis Safaris even if we don't stay and even when they can't fix any of the obvious issues with the accommodation. We ended up pitching half of the amount for our new accommodation in AA lodges just so we could get a good nights rest and not let Axis/Lennox bear all the losses even though technically they should have done their diligence on the upkeep of Kimana or found a way to mitigate their losses based on the business relationship they share with the Hotels/camps.
This was the only hiccup we faced during our whole trip. We were able to sort it out but they would have earned a 5-star rating if not for this incident.
I would suggest that Axis personally visit each of the hotels/camps/rooms and see what is on offer and then properly communicate the same with their guests. The onus is not on the guest to get information about the type/upkeep of the accommodation. Websites always showcase glossy pictures but on-ground realities might vary to a great extent and tour operators should take cognisance of that. That is what we rely on the tour operator for in a foreign country. The guests won't know exactly which hotel they will be visiting as they mention the name of a particular hotel and mention 'or similar properties' in the itinerary in most cases.
I, however, do appreciate that Lennox sorted out an accommodation in the end and the fag end of the trip went smoothly in the company of huge elephant groups and a gorgeous sunrise at Amboseli. Mount Kilimanjaro refused to appear during our stay there but hey, I know we will be visiting Kenya and Africa again and am sure Axis would find a way to put together another fabulous trip for us.
Email R-M | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent for the most part.
Generally, a really positive and fulfilling experience. Our driver was incredibly informative and knowledgable, and managed to get us sightings of all members of four of the 'big five' in the Masai Mara plus the fifth at Lake Nakuru, as well as so much more. Some of the stuff we saw went beyond my wildest expectations. The accommodation and food was also great (excellent vegetarian options all the way - thank you so much!). Only downside was that our driver was perhaps *too* good at his job - he was the only one during the journeys to and from the destinations, as well as during the safaris themselves, who *didn't* seem to get stuck in the mud. He expertly navigated his way through all sorts of predicaments, but as a result he'd often be called in to assist others, which ended up cutting in to our safari drives. We spent about half an hour of our first evening's hour-long drive assisting others. On our return to Nairobi, we were left at a roadside restaurant for another hour while he had to go on another rescue mission - meaning that we didn't get back to the city until close to 7pm (when our eta was around 3pm). We also sacrificed our morning safari on our third day at the Masai Mara on the understanding that we'd have a longer full-day drive on our second day, but we ended up being the last to leave and the first to return to camp (and we'd ended up conducting another lengthy rescue mission that day as well). Like I say, this wasn't hugely problematic, as when we *were* driving he managed to seek out and find the most amazing experiences for us, and he was incredibly intelligent and insightful to talk to. But he was perhaps too nice for his own good, and would've preferred more time with the animals and a more punctual return to Nairobi. Were it not for those minor gripes, this would definitely have been a 5* experience. I'd nevertheless happily recommend Axis (and our driver) to anybody, and would sign up for another tour with them without hesitation.
CZ
Email Denisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice experience
We had 3-day safari in Masai Mara with Axis. The communication with Lennox was very fast. Our guide was excellent. He knew a lot of information about animals and he was very skilled driver. The accommodation and food in the camp was very good and we were nicely surprised. There was the only thing that was not as promised. Before I booked our trip, I had asked whether all people in a car would have a window seat and Lennox promised it. And guess what? My husband didn´t have his own window. He sat in the middle and could use only a roof window. Moreover, there was not enough space for three people standing in one row and looking out from the roof window, so my husband and me had to rotate.