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
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!
IN
Email Juned | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Johny jackson is our tour operator, he is Very good person.
It was a great experience and I will surely recommend to others.
AE
Email Sahar | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very experienced, good communication and reliability. Good value for money
The tour was very enjoyable, our guide Albert was extremely friendly and helpful and would get out of his way to meet customer’s needs.
We took the 5 days trip to masai Mara, naivasha and hells gate. We chose a humble package (3 stars level) but would advise an upgrade for masai Mara camp.
Advise: Pack a towel if staying in camp and lots of snacks.
US
Email Tyler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun adventure!
We did the 5 day tour to Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Hells Gate. We were able to see so many animals and our guide Andrew was able to get us very close to a Cheetah and a pride of lions feasting, among many other encounters. We have so many amazing pictures thanks to him. Andrew was very nice and accommodating throughout the trip. We do wish the tour operator would have told us about the poor road conditions in Maasai Mara. It was a bit of an unwelcome surprise, however it did not ruin the trip. The accommodations were alright. Not amazing, but acceptable.
US
Email Aislyn | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Moses is an excellent guide, fun, capable, and knowledgeable about everything: best guide ever!
Axis Africa is extremely communicative. They always responded promptly to my WhatsApp messages.
They have a seamless pickup and drop off method. All participants are in the right place at the right time, and well taken care of.
We saw every animal at massai reserve!! We saw rhinos at lake nakaru!!
Lenchada eco-lodge is just okay….we lost one hour of the promised electricity, bathrooms are just clean enough but really need a deep clean.
LU
Email Lucrezia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First safari of my life and it was beyond expectations!
Safari is really an amazing experience!
Steve is a nice and positive guy, passionate about his work. We had the opportunity to see 4/5 big five on the 1st day!! (we missed only the rhino which is really rare in Masai Mara)
We had some problems with the jeep (for example, we got stuck in the mud), losing some time but Steve and Axis managed to make us happy in every possible way!
I would definitely suggest it!
LU
Email Ilaria | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice experince
We choose the option of 3 days and 2 nights, we did the visit to the Masai village that was very nice and interesting and the safari itself was amazing!
Unfortunately we had problems with the jeeps on the first and the last day and we lost a lot of time because of that but in the end they have been nice to find a solution and make us satisfied!
Our guide Stephen has been very kind and nice!
PT
Email Diego | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
Spectacular experience, driver (Jack) very friendly and concerned about everyone's comfort.
I didn't like the first accommodation so much, because they didn't have hot water or Wi-Fi as they promise to have!
NL
Email Martin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good
Ranger knew all the good spots to find the wildlife
GT
Email Jessica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Was amazing 5 days! Amazing hotels, food and guide! Andrew He was the best driver, we had some incredible photos of fantastic animals!
